Ask [Telos V] Into The Shadows

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t miss that wince when he moved to brush the blood away. It made him sick to his stomach. While such a simple detail never would have bothered him in the past, he had since begun to taste the bitterness of humanity. Humanity exhilarated him as much as it cut him, far deeper than any saber wound ever could. He would never forget that wince. He would never forget that recoil from the same face that laughed and smiled so ridiculously that it elicited the same in him. He would never forget that betrayal in the eyes that lit up at the sight of that stupid rabbit that Emryc didn’t even want. The eyes that lit up so vividly just because Emryc answered a question. He was reminded of details he hadn’t known he had been paying attention to. And it all came crashing down with that recoil. This was always the way it was meant to be. For Emryc.

His mind drifted vaguely to everything else objectively positive or good that ever came his way and his own hand in destroying them every time. After a certain point, it was difficult to blame external factors. He was the common denominator and he always would be. What if this were Morgan’s destroyed face? Tiamat’s? Renfry’s? No. They would all have fought back. Morgan would have resorted to his Firrerreo strengths to shred Emryc apart. The others would have found their own ways. Why hadn’t Jaikus? Why did it sting so much more when he didn’t fight back? Why did hurt deeper that Emryc had less physical injuries to take away from this? He had been denied the penitence he sought for his sins at the end of a whip. Jaikus denied him that and had granted him something far worse in its absence. The crushing weight of mercy.

His thoughts ventured to how he systematically destroyed everything around him. He thought back to the event at the castle where his mere presence had been toxic. His touch was toxic, poison that Jaikus reeled from. His thoughts were toxic. He was toxic to Morgan, Renfry, Tiamat and anyone else that ever came across him. He always hurt them in some shape or form. He always drew out pain.

“Psychological analysis failed.”

He had overturned that. He had found Raze. It had been his safety net. It protected him from feeling this kind of pain. He never got close enough to be toxic. He could simply unapologetically be who he was without a care to what anyone thought. It had been so simple back then. Back when he wouldn’t have felt the sting from watching Jaikus fear him. Back when he would relish that fear. Back when he would simply take whatever he wished and destroy him without a second thought.

Emryc was yanked out of his thoughts when Jaikus spoke, his silver gaze coming down to meet emeralds. He felt the blood wiped from his own lips and he knew then that he had to distance himself. He was poison and he had done enough damage. He was acid and he had burned through Jaikus both physically and mentally. He had done irrevocable damage and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do to fix it. Nothing he could do to turn back time and have Jaikus be the man he was moments ago.

The Sith Lord slowly eased himself away from Jaikus, bringing himself up to his feet. He bit back the urge to help Jaikus up, deciding that distance was best. The wince would haunt him for a very long time.

“I’m not going further in,” Emryc declared, “You need to get patched up at the camp. Then you can return here if you wish. I will leave the area.”

With that, the half Sephi turned towards where the door had been sealed behind them. He ignited his saber and began an attempt to cut through. The material held and the effort was exceptionally slow. Emryc took a few steps back and slammed his body against the door, rattling the entire thing. It still didn’t break the door. Without a word he tried again. And again. And again. He assaulted the door repeatedly, inflicting his toxicity where he felt he could. Where it couldn’t hurt anyone or cut into him in his humanity. Where it could only hurt him physically. He sought it now, sought the way his arm began to sting and bleed, where his knuckles became raw from repeatedly slamming into the door. He left dents as the door began to crack and slowly started fracturing from nothing but blunt force. The skins from his knuckles began to scrape off, and still he didn’t stop. Dust kicked up all around him as he kept going, hellbent on getting out of here instead of taking a single step deeper into the temple. Looking at his bloodstains on the door was easier than looking at the damage on Jaikus' face. Emryc wanted to run and he was clawing and fighting to do so.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Once, Jaikus would have felt the overwhelming desire to fill the silence that hung in the air – to say something, anything, that might remedy the situation. A joke or quip that most certainly would have been ignored, but somehow might have alleviated the tension that now existed. Where it once would have been so easy, the words caught in Jaikus’ throat – the Marauder seemingly unable to vocalize any kind of response.

He did not respond to the man when he spoke, as if his words had simply passed over Jaikus head entirely. Instead, the Marauder stared up with fleeting hope as the half-Sephi withdrew into himself and placed distance between them. An hour ago, the gesture to leave the Marauder flat on his back wouldn’t have phased Jaikus in the slightest. Now? Something so simple seemed to cut deeper than any wound the Sith Lord had beat into him – a pain painted itself clear as day in the Marauder’s eyes as Emryc turned and walked away.

Instead of rising to his feet, Jaikus allowed himself to lay there for minutes longer – not so much as bringing a hand to wipe the blood from his face. His eyes closed and mind wandered, considering all that had occurred. As before, a choir of voices rang out in his mind in unison.

Weakling.

The humanity that Jaikus had so desperately clung to since his induction into the Order, that piece of himself that had so brazenly been on display for Emryc to witness for all it was – Jaikus had always believed it made him stronger than those around him. More whole than those who allowed themselves to be consumed entirely by darkness. But now? That vulnerability had been turned against him – weaponized into something that wounded him deeper than anything physical ever could. It forced to a surface a question Jaikus refused to consider until this moment.

Could it be that his humanity that made him weak?

It was only the sound of clashes against the door that forced the Marauder back to reality, a sound that served to drown out the doubts and that horrible question that lingered in his mind. Opening his eyes, Jaikus watched in silence, emerald eyes fixated on Emryc as he struggled to punch his way to freedom.

As the half-Sephi slammed blow after blow against the door, cracks began to spiderweb across its surface. Shards of ancient stone that had already fractured and begun to chip with age exploded away from the hard impact, revealing the jagged, solid stone underneath. While the surface layer broke apart and crumbled to dust, any progress the half-Sephi had been making grinded to a halt. Even with the force, physically blasting apart the over-a-meter thick slab would have been a difficult task, but without it? It started to become abundantly clear that there was no physical means of breaking their way out of the corridor.

The sight of it sent a bolt of agony through the Marauder’s chest. A part of Jaikus wished to reach out to comfort, to smile and laugh as he once had in hopes that it might elicit the same in turn. And yet, there was another part of him – the same part of him that had instinctively recoiled away from the man’s touch – that resolved that it wanted nothing more than to withdraw and reinforce the barriers that he had allowed to fall.

Countless minutes seemed to pass before the Marauder finally forced himself off the floor. The rise to his feet was a pained maneuver, his body aching all over and the pounding in his head resuming once more. He moved at a sluggish pace, but the Marauder eventually straightened his back and started to close the distance between himself and Emryc – heavy steps carrying him forward across the corridor. Once within reach, Jaikus dug the fingers of both hands into the half-Sephi’s uninjured arm, slender fingers gripping tightly and yanking the Sith Lord until he was forced to come face to face with the Marauder.

Mere hours ago, Jaikus would’ve hesitated in tugging at the Sith Lord so brazenly. To do so would’ve been the quickest way to find himself thrown against a wall or bludgeoned repeatedly. Now? Jaikus simply did not care what reaction his gesture would elicit from the Sith Lord. He did not care about the consequences. A simple reality had banished any such concerns from his mind. What could either of them possibly do to each other now, that hadn’t already been done?

“Yes, you are.” Jaikus declared firmly, his voice carrying that same defiance and unwavering nature that had been on full display before. “You are, because our path – our ONLY path – is forward and to finish what we started here. Because turning back now means that everything that has happened, everything we’ve done, would have been for nothing.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was far away while he slammed on the wall, and in some ways he was glad it didn’t budge so easily. He didn’t feel the pain, his thoughts very much elsewhere. He thought of how he ended up doing the Cadre’s bidding, always their perfect pet no matter how much he strived to be something else. And for what? To seek out silly emotions and qualities that ultimately made him weak. Qualities that alienated Raze from him. Raze, who had comforted him all those times he was curled up on the floor alone as a child. Raze, who stood by his side when he faced atrocities that tore him apart. Raze, who was the only one there to help him put the jagged pieces together. And yet, Raze was the one he began to alienate. And for what? Frivolous things that ultimately and inevitably brought pain.

He got a few blows in before he felt his arms yanked. It was a credit to Jaikus’ determination to be able to fully turn around the much larger half Sephi. Emryc spun to face him, once again forced to gaze upon what he did. He saw bruises, cuts, and blood smearing his entire face. Jaikus was so far removed from the neat and dignified way he always presented himself, the way he always deserved to be. Emryc quickly slipped his arms out of Jaikus’ grip, and it was his turn to recoil from the touch.

“Look at what I’ve done to you, Jaikus,” Emryc growled, purposely maintaining a bit of distance, “I’m not going in there. I will wait here and meditate if I must. I…” His gaze lingered briefly on his face as he added barely above a whisper, “I cannot be trusted.”

The half Sephi looked as if he had more to say, but his eyes took on that frosty and detached look once more. The pain rapidly disappeared as he withdrew into his own mind once more. Emryc exhaled as he looked down to recall the Marauder’s saber having been tossed earlier. One of his bloodied and trembling hands slowly reached for his hip. He next did something he had never voluntarily done in his life.

He extended his saberhilt for Jaikus to grasp. The hilt that teemed with power, the saber that helped slay the Jedi Grandmaster and pierced into the heart of Talak Rand on Denon. The saber that was him surrendering his only weapon.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus made the brazen move to pull Emryc around to face him, he had expected a harsh rebuttal. A harsh push away or verbal reprimand if he was lucky. Instead of that, the Marauder was subjected to the same recoil away that he had instinctively inflicted upon Emryc.

There was an undenial look of pain in the Marauder’s eyes as he felt Emryc pull away, slender fingers left dangling in the air where the half-Sephi’s bicep had once been. It puzzled the Marauder why that had bothered him so much, why he allowed himself to reach a point where such a ridiculously small and minute detail could send spikes into his chest and twist knots into his stomach. Once more, that growing part of Jaikus urged him to pull away, to recluse away. That was what the half-Sephi wanted, wasn’t it?

Before he could, before that growing part of Jaikus’ mind could dominate him, Emryc spoke – stopping him in his tracks. It had been the first time the Sith Lord had addressed him in full by name and that fact did not escape Jaikus, emerald eyes widening slightly with a look of shock. "I.." He stopped himself, biting his lip and reconsidering what he would say next.

“Yes, well..” The Marauder tilted his head to the side. Even as the half-Sephi recoiled away before, Jaikus reached a hand, gesturing to the bloodied lip that he’d imparted onto Emryc. It was a shadow in comparison to the blunt wounds that Jaikus carried across his body, but that fact didn’t seem to matter to the Marauder. “You look like shit as well.”

It had been Jaikus’ first attempt at something resembling his typical quips and humor. He’d had an impeccable ability to find ways to make his irritating remarks during dangerous situations before, but somehow this newest quip carried more weight behind it. Still, Jaikus was meet with that familiarly cold look in the half-Sephi’s eyes, the pain and expression that had once filled them dying away almost as quickly as it had appeared. Before he could say anything else, Jaikus glanced down to see the saberhilt being offered towards him.

It was a move that shocked him to his core. In a place like this, where the Force had been nullified in their bodies and each carried a multitude of injuries, a lightsaber was the only weapon they could realistically rely on. For Emryc to offer his up so freely, leaving himself defenseless at the Marauder's expense.. It spoke volumes.

Slowly but surely Jaikus extended his hand to Emyrc, allowing the saberhilt to drop into his open palm. As if it was some sacred relic, the Marauder cradled it within his hand, silently judging the weight by bobbing it up and down. The grip and hilt design were different, of course, but the weapon did not feel so unfamiliar to his own. And yet, it was so different. It was not a physical feeling or one judged by the alloy in which it was forged, but instead the profound significance of what he was holding. It was the same weapon that had fought in countless battles in countless systems. It was the same weapon that had pierced the heart of Talak Rand and countless Jedi that had fought against the half-Sephi. More recently, it was the same weapon that had been turned against him personally – threatening to end his life and instilling in him a fear he’d rarely known.

There was a long pause between them, the Marauder’s eyes trained downwards towards the weapon. “I don’t want this.” Jaikus finally spoke, emerald eyes only then flicking upwards to meet Emryc’s. Unwaveringly, the Marauder placed the weapon back into the half-Sephi’s hand firmly, his other hand curling the man's fingers around it to grip.

“It does not belong to me. And moreover,” He paused, a low sigh escaping him. “I trust you.” Why? After all that had occurred, Jaikus had every reason in the world not to trust the Sith Lord. That growing part of him screamed and clawed to pull away as soon as the words passed the Marauder’s lips, and yet he stood resolved in his choice. Perhaps it had been the regret in his voice when he spoke, or the look of dread when he realized what he had done that gave Jaikus the confidence he had now. It didn’t matter. In that moment, why he trusted did not matter, only that he did.

“So,” Jaikus finally took a step backwards, pressing his weight against the wall and allowing his body to slide down until he was back on the floor. He brought a knee up against his chest, finally allowing himself to relax fully. “Pound your fists against a wall, meditate, smoke.. Whatever it is you need to do, do it. And then we will finish what we started.” Only then did Jaikus’ eyes flick away from the half-Sephi, staring upwards at nothing at all.[/justify]

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The quip about Emryc’s appearance was met with a blank stare. Without the face coverings, his blank and frosty gaze was even more pronounced with the expression to match. His lips seldom curved towards a smile or other nuances, always in a neutral and default state. That same impassive look carried through the exchange of Jaikus giving his saber back. The half Sephi visibly bristled as the Marauder curled his fingers over Emryc's, once again shying away from the touch. He actively sought to minimize how much he touched the other man or vice versa. That recoil from Jaikus earlier had made him sick to his stomach and served as a constant reminder of his own toxicity.

Emryc focused back on the door, expecting Jaikus to walk past him and into the temple. What followed next completely perplexed the half Sephi. He turned to look in time to see the Marauder casually plop himself down on the ground. It was a testament to Emryc’s perfectly measured stoic that his face didn’t betray a look of utter exasperation.

I trust you.

Why did that send a spike of rage through Emryc? Was the rage at Jaikus or at himself? Emryc almost opened his mouth to make an angry quip back, but he held himself back. Jaikus would notice the way Emryc's jaw tightened, the way he tensed and had a visceral reaction to the words. The Marauder continued to confound him in the worst ways. Seconds ticked by as Emryc gazed at the infuriating man, watching the way he vacantly stared off at nothing and made no move at all to go deeper into the temple.

The half Sephi looked back at the doorway, learning very quickly that his efforts would get him nowhere. With Jaikus also not going anywhere, they were effectively at a standstill. Emryc exhaled and walked over to sit down against another wall, putting a respectable distance between the two men.

He reached to put a cigarra between his lips, flicking a switch a few times to ignite it. The half Sephi looked vacantly at the wall across from him, exhaling a cloud of smoke. His eyes narrowed slightly, though he still didn’t look at Jaikus.

“Why do you have to be like this?”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite Jaikus’ best efforts to mend what had been broken – to pick up the pieces and pretend as if it had never happened, the half-Sephi bristled at the Marauder’s gentle touch, and once more a flash of sadness pulsed in those vivid emeralds. A part of Jaikus knew he had been to blame for it – having seen the pained expression across Emryc’s face when he had recoiled from the half-Sephi’s touch. A part of him knew he was had helped to built the rift that existed now, and it pained the Marauder more than he would ever say aloud.

Leaning against the wall and with his eyes trained upwards, Jaikus made no reaction to the look of rage that played out across Emryc’s expression. It was almost a certainty that he had seen the look on the half-Sephi’s face, but it didn’t seem to bother him the way his physical reactions had. Instead, Jaikus simply closed his eyes and tapped his index finger against his knee quietly – as if drumming to the beat of music playing in his own mind.

When Emryc finally broke the silence between them, Jaikus peeked open a single eye in response – one emerald shooting across the corridor to regard the Sith Lord who made a conscious effort to look away from him. The question he asked caused the Marauder’s lips to twitch slightly upward.

“It’s a gift, really.” The Marauder initially spoke nonchalantly in response, issuing a reply that was likely nothing short of infuriating for the Emryc to hear. It didn’t matter how badly he had been beaten. It didn’t matter how much his body ached and his head still throbbed. The Marauder had survived and remained unbroken by the harrowing experience, the fear and anxiety that had only so-recently been plain across his face banished down to the depths of his psyche. In its place, his characteristic quips and flippant remarks had resurfaced. When he opened his mouth to speak a second time, a small sigh escaped him first that betrayed a more serious tone.

“I make no apologies for who I am. Nor do I expect it in turn.”

With nothing more to say on that topic, minutes more passed before Jaikus decided it was his turn to break the silence, his voice carrying a hint of mischievousness that had almost been forgotten as of late. “Do you know, that is the.. Third, time you’ve smoked thus far.” Had he seriously kept count? “Not once have you offered to share. I’m almost offended.” Jaikus lifted his head off the wall and turned to face the Sith Lord now, arching a dark brow in his direction. The faintest thing resembling a smirk tugged at the corners of Jaikus’ mouth, emerald eyes watching for any hint of a reaction from the man.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was silent as Jaikus spoke, internally in disbelief about his resolve despite everything that happened. In his desperate attempt to avoid his gaze and drawing away from his touch, the half Sephi entirely missed the hurt in Jaikus’ eyes from his actions. He kept his gaze on the wall, quietly drawing from the cigarra and blowing out smoke, occasionally releasing a few rings in quick succession.

Not apologizing for being who he was had been something Emryc prided himself on. Could he say the same today? Was he not always apologetic for Raze in some ways? Did he not go to great lengths to keep Raze back? It was because virtually no one could accept and understand both sides of him. No one could tolerate both Emryc and Raze. They were two unfortunate sides to the same coin. Emryc perpetually fought to keep Raze subdued, which resulted in only being half present in any given situation.

He envied Jaikus in some ways. The man was right. He truly was who he was regardless of what trials came across him. His face was damaged, he was still bleeding and he was sitting here still making quips with the man that had done that to him. The man he claimed to trust after watching him clearly lose control. Was he that self assured or was he that much of a fool? It bothered Emryc to no end that Jaikus didn’t come at him with a vengeance or strike him for what he had done. It bothered him that Jaikus didn’t simply ignite his own saber through him when he had such a clear shot. He was clearly biding his time for an opportune moment. That finally satisfied the half Sephi. Jaikus would find ways to publicly end his political career as that would be far more heinous than simply killing him in an ancient temple. In Emryc’s insane line of thinking, the thought actually brought him comfort. It was more comforting than the possibility that Jaikus truly meant what he said.

Emryc was distracted from his thoughts when Jaikus spoke again, revealing that he had actually kept track of how many cigarras he smoked. He said nothing even after the quip about offering a smoke. The half Sephi stared at the wall for a moment, deciding that with a face like that he deserved at least some reprieve with a smoke. His injured fingers fished for another and paused, realizing he was puffing on his last one. The rest were back at the camp.

There was a profound look of displeasure that crossed briefly across Emryc’s face. After weighing his options for a while, he slowly rose to his feet and walked towards Jaikus. He sat next to the man, still pointedly gazing ahead. Wordlessly, he held up the cigarra he was smoking, offering the Marauder to take a few drags if he wished.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

“Such a gentleman.” Jaikus spoke with that characteristic drawl to his voice, a faint-yet-noticeable smirk painted across his expression as the half-Sephi begrudgingly approached and plopped himself down next to where the Marauder was sitting.

He reached up to take the cigarra when offered by Emryc, pinching it between his index and middle finger and slowly bringing it to his lips. Truthfully, it was something the Marauder rarely if ever indulged in. He much preferred to pour his sorrows into a wine glass or douse them in hard liquor, but after everything they’d been through in the past few hours and their current location, he wasn’t about to be picky about his choice of stress relief.

Unfortunately for Jaikus, the fact that he so rarely partook of the habit was painfully obvious. He drew far too deeply from the cigarra, causing to him succumb to a fit of hacking and coughing as he went to exhale. The Marauder tried – and failed – to stifle the sound, clearing his throat multiple times and wiping the watering of his eyes. It was now his turn to momentarily avert his gaze from Emryc, though only out of momentary embarrassment.

It was downright comical to witness, given the polished way the Marauder constantly presented himself. From the practiced way he ate his food or the dainty way he sipped from a glass, it seemed that everything Jaikus did had an air of sophistication to it. Rather than handing the cigarra back to Emryc once he’d gotten ahold of himself, Jaikus stubbornly hoarded the damned thing – as if now there was some point to be proven.

A minute or two of silence would pass as Jaikus sat there. As he stubbornly smoked, the Marauder had taken to looking to his right to where Emryc sat – not failing to notice the way the half-Sephi purposefully averted his gaze him. Normally, the Marauder didn’t at all seem to mind the man’s stoic nature or his long, vacant silences. Quite frankly he almost seemed to enjoy it. But this was different. Rather than simple stoicism, the half-Sephi had taken to actively ignoring Jaikus, and it was something that both pain and irritated the Marauder in equal measures.

Even though Emryc made a point to look away from the Marauder, it would have been almost impossible for him not to notice the way those emerald eyes bore into the side of his skull. While Jaikus usually allowed his emotions to play out expressively across his face, it seemed it was now his turn to stare blankly at the half-Sephi – perhaps for the first time impossible to read. It was as if the Marauder was analyzing every detail of Emryc’s profile, making note of every scar or imperfection that was present along his skin, counting every hair of his stubble.

After a long pause, Jaikus finally his head turned back to face the wall straight ahead of him – though he continued to watch the half-Sephi through the corner of his eye. He extended the two fingers which held the cigarra back towards Emryc, once more giving the man a turn to draw from it.

“Definitely Gundark-like.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc kept his gaze trained ahead as Jaikus took the cigarra from him. His ears twitched slightly as the Marauder suddenly began coughing and sputtering as if he had never smoked a day in his life. The half Sephi’s arm raised suddenly to slap the man in the back a few times to ease off the coughing. However, his hand paused mid air in hesitation before readjusting trajectory in one fluid movement to run the fingers through Emryc’s hair and set some idle strands back in place. His gaze never left the wall across him the entire time.

The half Sephi didn’t miss that Jaikus was purposely hogging the cigarra, but he said nothing about it. He could feel eyes on him, but still he didn’t look at the other man. To Emryc, the wall across from him was the most interesting thing in the galaxy.

Seconds ticked by. There was nothing but silence, except for the occasionally irritating whistle breathing from Jaikus and his broken nose. He knew the Marauder was openly staring at him, taking in the details of his profile from the side. The corner of Emryc's lip was swollen, his chin still sporting a thin trail of blood. He had a small bit of stubble along his jaw. Despite the blood and sweat, he smelled of expensive cologne with accents that were remnants of an earthy musk, cedarwood and hints of patchouli.

Emryc said nothing in response to the Gundark comment, though the muscles of his face twitched ever so slightly. He made a point to thoroughly investigate the species when he next had free time.

To Jaikus’ utmost annoyance, the half Sephi didn’t bother taking the cigarra back. Instead he straightened his posture, crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees. Emryc closed his eyes and began to meditate. Within moments, he drowned out any noise around him, withdrawing almost entirely into his mind. He was poised as a statue, and he could be there for hours like this.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

An undeniable frown tugged at Jaikus’ lips when Emryc refused to take back the cigarra, the Marauder still watching the half-Sephi from the corner of his eye. In that moment, any sense of enjoyment or pleasure he received from the shared indulgence felt like ashes in his mouth. Where he had once greedily hoarded the cigarra, the Marauder now wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

Pinching it between his fingers, Jaikus flicked what remained of the cigarra down the hallway. He watched with some degree of enjoyment as it landed and rolled, leaving a trail of embers as it went. Curiously, as it rolled past the threshold of one of the dark rooms, the glow of embers abruptly went out – as if the light had been snuffed out merely by passing through the door. Normally that would have puzzled and concerned the Marauder in equal parts. It would have been enough for him get up and cautiously investigate the anomaly further. But now? Now the only thing that he could possibly focus on was the man next to him.

Emerald eyes watching with growing annoyance as Emryc began to meditate, shifting his posture and attempting to appear even more closed off than he already had been. Despite his best efforts – despite his attempts to keep a level head or inject a touch of his characteristic humor into the situation, the cruel, icy shunning was starting to get to the Marauder. Despite his best efforts, the sight of Emryc just sitting there caused Jaikus’ jaw hardened.

He hated the fact that despite bearing the majority of the injuries, despite most parts of his body aching from one wound or another, Jaikus felt as if he was being punished for it. More than that, he hated the fact that he allowed something so basic – so trivial in nature as being ignored by the half-Sephi - to feel like a punishment.

In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to pelt Emryc with anything he could find. He wanted to wipe the blank, pensive expression off his face and force the issue that the man tried so desperately to avoid. It took everything within the Marauder not to send the nearest pebble or small object hurtling into the side of the half-Sephi’s markedly thick skull. Despite the undeniable satisfaction that would come from that, Jaikus instead chose to break the silence that had been created – emerald eyes not looking at Emryc now but instead boring holes into the wall infront of him.

“If I didn’t trust you, why on earth would I still be here? Why would I sit here, staring at nothing, if I didn’t think it was worth the effort?”

Instead of his usually nonchalant and sultry tone, the words Jaikus spoke were harsh and unforgiving. They carried with them all the frustration that he had tried to ignore, finally succeeding in bubbling over in his voice. So too did they carry an unmistakable pain, the first time he allowed such to boil over since their brawl. Emryc was just as likely to ignore him, but it was clear that his usual silence would not satisfy the man. For only the second time, he wanted an answer.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was entirely oblivious to whatever stewing Jaikus was doing. The half Sephi’s face was almost peaceful while he meditated, his expression relaxed and eyes closed as if he were asleep. His breathing was slow and calm. For all intents and purposes he was entirely closed off to the world. He didn’t sense the shifting around and agitated movements the Marauder made next to him. He didn’t pick up on the growing irritation and anger that festered there.

Moments ticked by before Jaikus finally spoke. In the immediate aftermath it was as if Emryc didn’t hear him. Jaikus may as well have addressed a statue, especially as the half Sephi was poised as perfectly still as one. The words were crashing waves against boulders, receding away without making any real dent or shift. But the dampness lingered for a moment, piercing into those thin cracks in Emryc’s psyche. The pain and frustration was unmistakable in Jaikus' voice when he spoke, and the intonation was even more clear when Emryc had nothing but a voice to work with.

After a few more moments, the silver eyes finally opened. Emryc stared ahead at the wall again briefly before he finally turned towards the other man again. The vibrant silvers were frosty as always, but they lacked the yellow streaks entirely. Even that brief period of meditation had pulled back Raze’s presence hopefully for the remainder of their time here.

“I do not wish to harm you again,” He stated flatly as he looked into the emeralds. His voice seldom carried emotion, and it was no different this time. The cold detachment lingered as Emryc continued to distance himself.

He finally rose from where he was sitting, gazing up ahead. He could see the dead end and that meant they had to walk into the dark rooms to the side. Emryc grimaced slightly as he stepped forth silently, walking past the first few candelabra before facing the last archway. He saw nothing but pitch black. He hesitated just for a moment but took a step forth.

The room was completely and utterly black, but he could feel a tug from the Force nexus. It was enough to grant them very faint use of the Force once again but at a higher cost. Emryc couldn’t see his own hands in front of his face. The sensation caused his heart to begin racing and give him a sense of anxiety. It manifested in how his breathing quickened slightly. He was suddenly reminded of when he first realized he was blind. His world had been pitch black and that was all he knew. It took a few deep breaths to calm himself again, anxiety attacks something that was normally extremely foreign to the half Sephi.

Eventually he tapped into the extensive training he had done to navigate during the time he was blind. Emryc closed his eyes and channeled what little Force he could to use Sight. He could begin to make out vague outlines. It was a testament to his strength as a councilor level Sith that he could squeeze even this out of the limited use.

The outlines made out pillars and a path ahead. Emryc began to step towards it, navigating with his eyes closed and using Sight entirely. It was beginning to tax him and he quickly moved to cover the distance.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Why do you care?

The thought crashed in Jaikus’ mind when Emryc spoke, giving the Marauder pause and rendering him incapable of a response initially. It was a question that had plagued him from the moment Emryc had pulled him from the axes edge. It had plagued him since the man had braved the cold to hunt him a meal in accordance to his spoiled, ridiculous preferences. It had plagued him since he glimpsed the pained, horrified expression behind those silvers oh-so-recently. It was a question that eluded him, and only served to give rise to one equally as uncomfortable.

Why do I care?

When his frustration had boiled over only moments ago, Jaikus had wanted to be angry. To have exposed his underbelly and have had that vulnerability weaponized against him – used to do him damage – had cut deeper and wounded more than any superficial cut or gash across his skin – and now he was being punished for it. He wanted to be angry for it, and yet he wasn’t. Why did he find it impossible to be angry? Why did his frustration and malice melt like snow beneath the sun the moment the half-Sephi spoke?

Rather than respond, emerald eyes stared at the wall in deafening silence, silently tracing every groove and grout line that ran between the ancient stone. Rather than think, he scoured for for some meticulous detail, studying every crack and fracture that spiderwebbed across its surface. A part of him wanted to stare at that wall for the rest of his days, rather than give those uncomfortable questions any more space in his mind to fester.

“You won’t.” When Jaikus finally responded, his voice barely registered above a whisper. Only then did he turn to meet those silvers. Where Emryc had maintained a cold, vacant expression, Jaikus’ face betrayed every emotion. Where the half-Sephi had instinctively reinforced his walls, the Marauder had allowed his own to remain in pieces in front of him. Just as they had been before. “I trust, that you won’t.”

There was little else to be said, and so the Marauder fell back into silence. Instead of speaking, he rose to his feet just as Emryc had – silently dusting himself off before approaching the entrance to one of the many dark chambers that lined the room. Staring into the inky void, Jaikus hesitated, every primal urge in his body screaming to pull away and cling to the familiar warm of the candelabra’s light.

Our only path is forward.

His own words played back in his mind, enough to begrudgingly force the Marauder to take a fateful step forward – even going so far as to momentarily close his eyes as he entered. When he opened them again, there was.. Nothing. It was darkness like the Marauder had never experienced before – all consuming and absolute, where not even the faintest hint of light could find purchase. Turning back to face the corridor would reveal nothing but an inky void from where they had just entered, the light of the candelabra no longer visible from within the chamber.

The sensation sent a chill down his spine. Already, the temple had stripped from Jaikus his connection to the Force, depriving him of the sensation that he had almost come to rely on as a member of the Sith. Now? Now the forsaken place had deprived him of that most basic human sense of sight, something that not even the newfound tug of the Force Nexus could compensate for. Where Emryc’s stronger, more potent connection to the Force allowed him to make out outlines and glimpses in the darkness, Jaikus had no such ability. The faint connection he felt to the Force was little more than a cruel joke to the Marauder - enough for him to feel its presence brushing against him, but yet too distant to utilize.

He could not see the outlines of pillars or the path ahead. He could not see the Emryc ahead of him. He could not see his Lightsaber which had rolled against one of the pillars. He was completely lost, and it terrified him.

"I-I can't see."

Jaikus' voice had been full of fear once before, but only now would Emryc be able to actually hear it when he spoke. A new, raw sense of panic laced into every breath the Marauder took, a distinct trembling with every drawn out exhale. It was the same panic that Emryc would have felt having his own sight taken from him for the first time, the world he had always known viciously seized away from him, leaving him in complete darkness.

Desperately, Jaikus reached out a hand infront of him – slender fingers swiping through the air for something - anything - to cling to. His hand passed through the air, grasping at nothing infront of him. Emryc had been only a few steps ahead of him, the half-Sephi just beyond reach.

Should Emryc turn back to face the Marauder, he would realize that they were not alone in this room. What had once been hooded, humanoid figures which lingering out of the corners of their eyes had now twisted and warped into something horrifying - watching and stalking them from a distance. Instead of moving upright, the figures crawled across the ground animalistically – their limbs having extended to become impossibly long, hands that ended in sharp, bony fingers - what had once resembled Sith robes little more than tattered shreds of fabric clinging to their bodies.

The longer Emryc stared, the more the creatures became aware of his vision. They lingered at the very edge of his sight, slipping back into the shadows and out of view, with only the distinct sound of boney appendages scrapping against the stone left in their wake.

They were waiting.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t look behind him, draining his energy to take the path ahead. He kept moving until he heard Jaikus speak. The half Sephi paused and finally turned around, able to clearly make out the Marauder’s outline. Beyond him he could see the unnatural creatures that contorted and crawled on the ground. These wretched beasts showed up in vivid detail, etched in black against the backdrop of the white outlines he could see. He could also see Jaikus standing in the middle entirely oblivious, fear clear in his tone and the way he carried himself. He suddenly appeared incredibly small against the shadows that began to creep towards him.

The half Sephi thought about his own efforts to distance himself. He thought about backing away and letting the beasts simply overwhelm the man. It would be so simple - he could watch it all play out. It would distract the beasts and it would give him the window to rush in the opposite direction. It would plug the potential for a leak to his identity. It would take away the need for Emryc to face these beasts, the likes of which sent a chill down his spine. Without the complete use of the Force, his mind was still unprotected. He felt a sense of dread and horror when he gazed at the beasts, the nature of them to be the very embodiment of pure, unbridled fear. Emryc was frozen in place where he was, wanting nothing more than to continue the path he began. The beasts were invoking a variation of summon fear ,which immobilized and psychologically worked to cripple any that gazed upon them. Any that were not exceptionally powerful with the Force.

I trust you.​

The words echoed within his mind out of nowhere, stinging him worse than any lash on his back. Cutting deeper than any saber. Cutting right through the near hysteria Emryc felt under the fear's attack. He saw the way Jaikus stood in fear as he looked around blindly, recalled the tremble in his voice, saw the way he was poised as a lamb before wolves drawing in for a feast.

After a moment of silence, Jaikus would feel fingers gently brush the hand he had extended in darkness, “It’s me,” Emryc’s baritone cut in through the dark. The half Sephi actively worked to keep his voice perfectly calm and its normal tone despite the deep discomfort and sense of dread he felt, “Come here,” He grasped Jaikus’ hand and gently tugged the man towards himself right as a beast behind him began to unhinge its jaw into an impossibly wide shape to consume him.

Jaikus would soon smell that familiar cologne as Emryc pulled him away from the creature, taking a few steps back, “It’s nothing, just voices like from before,” The half Sephi lied calmly as he felt a chill run down his spine, hoping to keep the other man level headed through this. The joints of the creatures popped and cracked as they began to advance towards them. Vacant gaps for eyes gazed up at him and a raspy rattle could be heard as the creatures exhaled the stench of death.

Emryc continued to step back, taking Jaikus back with him. A quick glance to the side revealed the saber the Marauder had lost before. He used a bit of his strength to draw the hilt to himself, placing it back in Jaikus’ other hand. While Emryc had been preparing to fight the beasts, he began to realize they were surrounded on all sides. The shadow creatures contorted and crawled towards them, scuttling along on all fours and climbing over one another towards fresh meat.

The half Sephi’s jaw tightened as he attempted to level his mind and keep himself calm. The only hint of the dread he felt was in the sweat that rapidly built in the palm that was grasping Jaikus’ hand.

“I’m going to need you to close your eyes and run with me on three,” Emryc said as calmly as possible, “One...two...three” With that, he spun and broke out into a full sprint in the pitch black darkness. He took Jaikus with him, his longer strides likely making the man have to work extra hard to keep up. The sense of urgency was abundantly clear as the half Sephi bolted at breakneck speeds down the path he could make out with Sight.

There was a collective shrill cry that erupted behind them as the beasts picked up speed. The shadows rapidly began to close in on them at all sides, hundreds upon hundreds of the creatures crawling and gathering around them. Emryc ran for his life, igniting his saber as some of the beasts began to come too close.

If Jaikus refused to listen to Emryc and opened his eyes, it would be the first time he would suddenly see rare glimpses of the horrors they were up against with the glow of Emyrc’s red saber cutting any that lunged at them. If Jaikus looked, he would feel that hysteria and immobilizing fear that would threaten to freeze him on the spot. Black, tar-like blood splattered the half Sephi as he kept running, his grip on Jaikus’ hand iron and firm. The room was thunderously loud with the chorus of shrill screeches and screams that made the half Sephi’s eyes water from the noise. His sensitive ears were completely flattened, but he fought through it.

The path extended ahead into a long stretch that they had to cover. Emryc still couldn’t make out what was ahead beyond a certain point, and he fought desperately against being overwhelmed from all sides.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus’ hand reached out and grasped nothing but the air in front of him, his heart sank in his chest. He took a few steps before another hand reached outward, once more grasping at nothing. He didn’t make a third attempt, the Marauder instead seemingly unable to do anything but freeze in his tracks, his fingers left dangling absently in the air where he had hoped Emryc might’ve been. They curled slightly, as if tightening his on grip something that wasn’t there.

Slowly but surely, a sickening realization crept up into Jaikus’ mind, one that twisted knots in his stomach and succeeded in draining all the color from his face. The world as he knew it had been viciously stripped from him, leaving him in complete and all consuming darkness. And now he was alone. Moments passed and Jaikus was alone, feeling as if the walls around him were closing in and he were impossibly small – unable to see the twisted visages of the creatures who stalked him.

It’s me.

That familiar voice rang out through the darkness, cutting through the fear and panic that threatened to destroy him. When Jaikus felt Emryc’s fingers brush against his own, the Marauder shuddered slightly at the touch. It was not the negative, visceral reaction that had been elicited from the half-Sephi’s touch before, but something entirely different. It was relief. Instantaneously, the Marauder laced his fingers with the half-Sephi’s, gripping him tighter than he had at any point prior – following as Emryc took a few steps backwards, oblivious to the creature that had nearly taken his head off. Jaikus said nothing when Emryc spoke his words of comfort, though his breath seemed to steady ever-so-slightly, the fingers of his free hand wrapping tightly around the familiar hilt of his saber. When the instructions to run were spoken, Jaikus merely nodded his head in response and closed his eyes, allowing the half-Sephi to guide him forward.

As they began to run, any sense of relief and comfort in Jaikus’ face melted away. He dared not open his eyes, but he could hear the sound of the creatures behind him. He could hear their shrill, terrible screams and the cracking of joints and bony fingers against stone as they moved. It was enough for the Marauder to instinctively ignite his saber defensively, swinging the blade behind him blindly in an attempt to drive whatever it away.

As they bolted down the path, Emryc would be able to see one of the creatures surpassing the others – climbing over bodies and crushing its own kin beneath its claws as it struggled to reach them. As it moved, a shrill, pained screech erupted from the creature’s throat, suddenly throwing its head back to face the ceiling. Through the Sight, Emryc could do nothing but watch in horror as the flesh melted and boiled on the creature’s face in unnatural ways - bubbling up like fresh tar until all of its features melded together. Facial bones splintered and broke apart with sickening cracks and pops, forcibly reshaping themselves into something new.

When the creature snapped its head back to gaze at Emryc, its face had twisted into something entirely new. Something familiar. The girl Emryc had known from his visions – the one he had spared during his missions and yet had been brought to him for slaughter. It was now her visage that stared at him, impossibly calm even as the creature it was attached to barreled towards them. It’s bony appendages raked forward and clawed at the air, just as bloodthirsty and dangerous as it had been only moments prior.

Only now, it was smiling back at him.

Rather than crawl over the twisted bodies of the other monsters any longer, this particular creature sprang up from the ground, landing against the wall with a sickening thud. Immediately, it began sprinted on all fours across the vertical surface of the wall, the talon-like ends of its fingers digging into the stone to carry it forward – each joint popping and cracking as it moved. It didn’t matter how quickly the half-Sephi tried to run, the creature moved faster. Free from all obstacles on the ground, it practically glided across the stone, that terrible face always smiling and never looking away as it passed just ahead of the pair. Only then did it stop abruptly, twisting with a pop of its spine and launching itself from the wall towards them, claws raised high to strike – its horrifying form briefly illuminated by the glow of twin sabers.

As it glided through the air towards them, that familiar face warped and finally abandoned its smile - jaw dislocating and splitting open to reveal the endless row of teeth that spiraled down its black throat – threatening to enclose around the half-Sephi, shredding the flesh from his bones, satisfying a hunger that had gone unsated for centuries.

Crimson plasma sliced downward through the air, and the creature never stopped moving.

As the blade of Jaikus’ saber carved downward to the left of Emryc’s shoulder, the body of the creature suddenly went limp and tumbled across the ground in front of them. It’s head rolled to rest against a nearby pillar, once more contorting and twisting to its original shape before it too went limp. Jaikus had finally opened his eyes despite the half-Sephi’s instruction, just barely catching a glimpse of the creature as it leap towards Emryc, enough time for him to react instantaneously.

In the immediate aftermath, it felt as if the half-Sephi was literally dragging Jaikus behind him. Instinct alone had fueled the timely swing of his saber, but that did not prevent the effects of the creatures from taking hold. The fear crashing against him in waves from merely looking at the creature for a split second, causing knees to buckle slightly and hand to tremble within the half-Sephi’s grasp, fingers desperately lacing tighter and grasping for some sense of security – some bastion against the darkness. Seconds passed before the Marauder finally was capable of bringing his feet to move independently and resume his sprinting, just barely dodging the claw of a creature that swiped behind him.

The pair ran for what felt like an eternity, the path in front of them seeming to stretch for miles without end. Even Emryc would begin to feel himself tiring, his legs feeling heavier and heavier despite the adrenaline pumping in his veins. To Jaikus’ credit, the Marauder managed to keep pace with the half-Sephi through the darkness, ignoring the pain in his leg – the sensation of wounds reopening from over exertion.

An eternity passed before Emryc could make out something new on the path ahead of them – a single flicker of light in the darkness, little more than an ember against the shadow that threatened to consume and twist them into the very creatures from which they fled. As they got closer, Emryc could make out the appearance of a statue in the distance. It was feminine in appearance, the upper hemisphere of its face shrouded by a stony cowl. Two hands extended out infront of it, a single candle burning within its palms. Where all other sources of light had been swallowed by the shadow, only the candle had survived. It burned for centuries on end, illuminating a circle around the base of the statue for several feet.

It was the only place the in the room that the creatures seemed to avoid, shrinking away from the warm glow.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was losing more and more control as he charged ahead, his energy rapidly depleting from using Sight. He was also using his injured arm to swipe and cut through droves of the monsters with his saber. His wound was open and profusely bleeding, exhaustion beginning to take over him. He was determined to keep pushing through, making his approach towards any end in sight.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a single creature rapidly gaining speed above the rest. He prepared to engage it up ahead, though he didn’t change his trajectory. The creature’s head snapped back with a sick crunch as it changed shapes. Emryc focused back on the other beasts, cutting and batting away the groups as he yanked Jaikus along.

That single creature then snapped its head back just in time for Emryc to look and see that dreadful face again. The half Sephi’s breath caught in his throat and he felt his legs grow weak. For a moment he forgot entirely how to draw air, and he could hear and sense nothing. His concentration on the Force was abruptly cut from the disruptive shock and he was suddenly thrown back into darkness. Emryc was assaulted by memories from the past. He saw that girl again, sitting in the corner of the room and hugging her knees. She saw Emryc and she had smiled - the smile of relief amidst a tear stained face. The smile of hope. Because she knew he had protected her before. He heard the command he was given. He recalled the cold metal of his saber hilt in his palm. And still the girl smiled. She didn’t look at his weapon. She looked at him. She looked into his eyes. She didn’t realize they were not the same eyes. He vividly recalled the words she had uttered right before he ignited his saber.

I trust you.​

“NOOOOOOO!” The half Sephi cried out in agony as he forcefully yanked himself back into the present. His temporary lapse had cost them as he slowed down the rush ahead. He came back just in time to see the beast open its jaws to attack him. It was close - too close - for Emryc to stop it. The half Sephi prepared for the worst, his forward momentum taking him right into its maw. He could already smell the stench and decay, the rancid odor of a thousand rotting corpses prepared to add him to the count.

And then a crimson blade surged through the air to cut through the beast. Emryc collided with the headless torso of the creature, his rush taking him right past it. He didn’t look to see where the head went, casting an incredulous cursory glance towards Jaikus who had done the deed. He knew the man opened his eyes and he was slowing down.

“Jaikus!” Emryc called out, “Stay with me!” He yelled as he forcefully pulled the man with him. The shadows began to close in and it felt as if there was no way out.

Meanwhile, the beasts turned their attention to the Marauder. He began to see faces from his past. He began to see the family of five he failed to protect. He saw each member’s face manifest in the creatures, and he would see their vivid injuries. He would see their eyes pop open with pleading and betrayed gazes. They wanted to communicate but they couldn’t. Because Jaikus allowed them to be silenced forever. The screeching around them began to chant within Jaikus’ mind. Voices he had heard before. They were a million times louder and chanted in unison.

Weakling.

Weakling.

WEAKLING.

It was deafeningly loud. Every creature around him would be replaced with the faces of those he had failed. He would see them even if he closed his eyes. Because he chose to open them at all. Emryc’s voice was far away, easily drowned out by the group’s chanting.

Emryc could make out the statue at the end and his heart sank. It didn’t occur to him that they had reprieve with the light. All he saw was a dead end. He felt nothing but despair and hopelessness and he kept charging ahead. They would die here. They would be consumed by these beasts. This was the end of the line.

He began to feel the creatures drawing closer and he used some of the last bits of his energy to leap towards that light. Emryc spun around mid air to brace himself as his back slammed harshly into the wall next to the statue with his landing. He quickly spun around to push Jaikus into the wall, putting both hands against the wall on either side of him and his body as a shield against the expected onslaught. From this close Jaikus would see the look on Emryc’s face. It was not one of fear, but of unwavering resolve and acceptance for what was about to happen. The half Sephi did not look at the other man, but he protected him all the same. In that last, dying moment, he wanted to make it abundantly clear that he wanted to take back what he had done before. He never had that chance with the girl he had slaughtered.

It took a few seconds to realize that the area offered them protection from the beasts. Emryc slowly looked around and could see the beasts clawing and scratching in the distance but failing to cross the threshold. It was then that the full extent of his exhaustion finally caught up to him. He glanced briefly at Jaikus as if he had something to say.

Then, without a word, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground with a great thud. He was in a pool of the black blood of the creatures, the lacerations on his arms and across his whole body bleeding out and joining it.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Weakling.

Weakling.

WEAKLING!

The familiar voices in his mind boom in unison, permeating every recess of his psyche until they dominated all else. They spoke with such intensity it made his ears ring and threatened to shatter his eardrums. The Marauder tried desperately to close his eyes – to return to the empty darkness that he’d recently recoiled away from.

Instead, the faces only appeared more vividly than they had before – visages that would haunt the Marauder until the end of his days. They flashed across his vision one by one, emerald eyes matching the tint of his own that bore holes into his very soul. He could see every wound and laceration that marred their lifeless bodies – wounds that Jaikus had failed to prevent. He could barely hear Emryc when he spoke, his voice distant and barely registerable above the roar of the repeated chanting the faces that cruelly assaulted him. Jaikus could do nothing to prevent the tears that begun to streaming down his cheeks, his body trembling beneath the weight of all his failures. The only thing he could do was run.

His legs had long gone numb, but he ran. Jaikus could no longer feel his limbs as they carried him forward – only forward – faster than they ever had before. He could no longer feel the sharp ache in his thigh as every stitch and suture that Emryc had meticulously weaved began to split back open, blood soaking through the bandages that wrapped his leg.

When they finally passed into warm glow of the statue, Jaikus felt his body yanked around and pressed against the wall. As Emryc used his own body to shield Jaikus from the coming onslaught, the Marauder could do nothing but watch wide-eyed and in horror. Instinctively his fingers clung to the Sith Lord’s forearm and gripped tightly, his slender form feeling impossibly small with the half-Sephi wrapped around him protective. Once more Jaikus squeezed his eyes shut tightly, knowing that death was mere seconds away.

Seconds passes, and their screams did not fill the room. The shrill screeching and the whispers fell silent, and it was only at that moment that Jaikus allowed himself to peek around the half-Sephi. Just as it had been before they entered the room, the darkness acted as a shroud for those who lingered outside of it, preventing him from seeing the twisted visages of the creatures that lurked just beyond the candlelight – though he knew they were there all the same.

Only then did Jaikus’ eyes shift back to the half-Sephi, making contact just as the man began to slip from consciousness. He desperately attempted to cling to Emryc, hands wrapping underneath his arms in an attempt to keep the man from collapsing onto the floor. In his weakened state, the Marauder only succeeded in lightening the impact of the Sith Lord’s fall – unable to hold up his dead weight but at the very least ensuring that his skull did not crack against the stone floor.

For several seconds more, Jaikus stood with lightsaber in hand, expecting one of the creatures to lung the moment their guard was down. Minutes passed in silence before it became clear that an ambush did not await them. Only then did Jaikus allow his knees to buckle underneath him – the Marauder crumpling to the floor near where Emryc had, barely able to bring the palms of his hands out to prevent his head from striking the ground. Minutes or more passed before Jaikus found the strength to move himself, and then he did, he instinctively drug himself towards the half-Sephi. He did not allow himself to look into the darkness at the creatures that waited, but instead focused on the unconscious man beneath him – drinking in the sight of the lacerations across his body that mixed with the pool of foreign black blood.

Wordlessly, Jaikus brought his sleeve up to his face, biting down onto the fabric of his armor and tearing it away in strips and pieces. He had foolishly left the medical supplies back at the camp, and nothing remained of his cloak for impromptu bandaging as he’d done before. All he could do know was apply pressure to the wounds and attempt to soak up the blood that flowed from the half-Sephi.

Slowly but surely, the longer they lingered, the candle in the arms of the statue began to dim. That which had burned for centuries undisturbed finally began to flicker and extinguish – as if the power that had sustained it was finally giving out. As the light dimmed, that circle of protection began to retract towards the pair of Sith – the creatures just beyond inching closer and closer as new ground was provided.

Jaikus did not move. There was nothing he could. He could not fend off the swarm alone, and he knew it. He was going to die here, and he knew it. He could smell their putrid, decaying breath as the flames began to die. He could hear that horrible, horrible crack and pop as their limbs drug their twisted bodies across the floor. He could see death closing in all around him, hungry and all-consuming as the void.

At the very least, Jaikus resolved that he would not give the creatures the satisfaction of seeing the panic in his eyes when they rendered his flesh from his bones – a final act of defiance from a man who had been unwavering in his resolve through the course of his life. Instead, he remained entirely focused on the task at hand – palms pressing firmly against the open lacerations against Emryc’s body.

“..Stay with me,” Jaikus’ voice rattled out quietly, repeating back the words that Emryc had spoken to him before. He expected they were the last ones he’d ever speak.

The light continued to dim, the mere inches of protection between the pair of Sith and the creatures beyond breathing its last. Just as the candle went out with a fizzle of smoke, the ground shifted. As if they had somehow activated some hidden mechanism, a familiar grinding of stone echoed through the entire chamber as the statue they leaned against rotated upon its axis – the wall behind them spinning in place until they had been transported into an entirely different chamber – the shrill cries and clawing of the creatures barely audible from the other side of the wall. Squinting slightly, Jaikus looked up from the half-Sephi to observe their surroundings.

Where the creature-filled room had been impossibly dark, the one they found themselves it now was brighter than any in the temple had been before. Great braziers wrought in black metal roared with the intensity of an inferno, while sconces in the shape of skeletal hands were placed on the pillars every few feet, casting the orange-hued glow of fire to dance across every wall and stone surface within the room, leaving no space where the darkness would find purchase. All around them, colossal status of black stone towered, shrouded in dark robes and with obsidian eyes cast downward to gaze upon any who would walk between them.

Turning his gaze ahead, Jaikus could see a wide flight of stairs that inclined steeply to a platform above. From their current position, Jaikus could feel the Nexus beating like the heart within his own chest, the same unmistakable pull that had brought them to Telos in the first place.

It didn’t matter to Jaikus.

With no new threat presenting itself for the time being, Jaikus allowed his eyes to linger upon the place where Emryc laid unconscious – emerald boring into the half-Sephi while the palms of his hands still pressed firmly against the wounds that he bore. For the moment, the rest of the temple and the world beyond melted away. What he was doing now was the only thing that mattered.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was dead to the world. He had no idea that the beasts began to close in. He had no idea that he was bleeding out. He had no idea that Jaikus was next to him as he accepted his fate. He had no idea that the Marauder’s last actions would be pressing his hands against Emryc’s body to staunch the bleeding. He was not there to experience the candle going out and feeling that complete state of surrender. He was spared that sense of utter despair, something that would haunt Jaikus for the rest of his life. He did not hear Jaikus’ pleading whispers to him.

The nexus pulsated up the stairs to on platform above, teeming with energy. It was so close within reach, right there for Jaikus to find it. And yet the Marauder stayed put by Emryc. The half Sephi remained unconscious, his face more peaceful than ever in its relaxed state. Jaikus’ efforts were proving helpful, some of the bleeding slowing down.

What Jaikus may not have noticed in his state was that subtle hint and throb of the Force. It barely brushed the psyche, as fleeting as the wind rustling through leaves. It was not enough to be tangibly there, but it was a lingering presence.

This was far more pronounced for the half Sephi.

Seconds passed. Time continued to move. It began first as the subtlest twitch of his fingers. And then it extended throughout the rest of his extremities. His breathing patterns changed, his chest rising and falling more steadily as consciousness rapidly returned to him. Jaikus would feel more than that. He would feel a powerful energy pooling around Emryc. He would feel it being siphoned from the nexus directly, feeding right into the half Sephi.

After a moment, Emryc bolted upright to sit up. His face was mere inches away from Jaikus. He said nothing as his eyes popped open. Once they did, Jaikus would see they were completely yellow, eerily glowing against the darkness. Emryc said nothing because this was no longer Emryc alone.

Raze had awakened.

The Sith Lord was close enough to the nexus to forcefully draw from it. And he did so with a vengeance. All of his anger, hatred, and malice brought the energies to heel. He grabbed it by the neck and pulled it to himself, brought it beneath his boot. He did not move from where he sat, his expression completely blank, his eyes an animalistic yellow. They soon began to glow vibrantly the more he pulled from the nexus, taking back the command he lost. He went far beyond that. He willed the Dark Side to submit. He forced it into submission. This was his domain now. Now that nexus was within his grasp.

Within moments, anguished and high pitched screams echoed from the level above them. This was the sound of the creatures above having every bit of their being sapped from them. This was from Raze draining life and pulling from them. They were contorted and twisted, shredded from their physical forms until their essence in the Force poured down to him a full level below. The Force wove into his wounds, drawing away the gashes and the pain. The effects extended to Jaikus, his nose abruptly popping back in place with a sick crunch. The deep lacerations he had on him began to close enough to tolerate.

The dying screams above echoed until there was nothing but silence. There would be nothing but hollow skeletons left above. And still Raze did not look away from Jaikus. It was impossible to tell if Emryc was present. It was impossible to tell if he was truly looking at Jaikus. His eyes were entirely yellow now, no way to distinguish where his irises were.

Raze slowly moved to shift to his feet, not saying a word as he turned towards the stairs and the platform. A massive, concussive blast extended out from him as a deep fissure snaked up the stairs. They cracked in half and collapsed, the platform itself tearing down from where it was. The entire structure was collapsed and destroyed, exploding into nothing but dust.

All that remained was the nexus itself. The nexus that had siphoned from them. The nexus that Raze manipulated with all his vengeance and fury. It desperately attempted to cling to the hints of light it once had. Raze stepped towards it, channeling the Dark Side into it in a stream to corrupt it once and for all. Through it all he did not speak. He did not address Jaikus. He gave no indication if he was still the same man that was willing to protect him with his life.

Or something far worse.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Minutes passed without counting, and Jaikus remained firmly in place – his sole focus to stifle the bleeding from the Half-Sephi. Any ambition or motivation to seek out what lie at the precipice of the temple had been sidelined entirely, as if the Marauder had completely forgotten that it had existed. Next to what he was doing now, it didn’t matter.

Only moments ago the darkness had closed in all around Jaikus and threatened to consume him. He had been completely alone, and yet Emyrc had come back for him, guiding him to safety. When death closed in all around them, the half-Sephi shielded him with his own body – selflessly willing to bare the brunt of the onslaught. Despite having every opportunity to do so, despite it even being to his benefit at times, Emryc had refused to abandon the Marauder.

Jaikus wasn’t going to abandon him now.

The Marauder recoiled slightly as Raze sprang upright, given little time to react as the energies pooled around the half-Sephi only moments prior. The sight of the yellow, animalistic yellows staring back at him gave the Marauder to momentary pause – meeting them with equal intensity, and yet searching for.. Something. Jaikus stared at the creature before him now, a mixture of emotions crashing against him that were impossible to read on his face. Was this the man had bludgeoned him senseless into the ground, or the one who had been horrified by the sight of it? The question tugged at the back of Jaikus’ mind, despite his every effort to silence it.

Is this my enemy..?

A distinct albeit brief look of horror played out across Jaikus’ face as the sounds of agonized, horrific screams began to fill the temple. What had survived in this place for centuries untold now clawed and scraped in utter despair – their shrill, animalistic screeching filled with the same terror that they had inflicted upon the pair of Sith only moments ago. A part of Jaikus relished the sound, finding sick satisfaction that the source of those terrible visions now suffered as he did.

Another part of him was sickened to his very core.

The Sith Lord brought the energies into himself and allowed them to wash over Jaikus in turn, causing every hair on the Marauder’s neck to stand at attention. He could feel his nose pop back into place and the wide gashes across his face begin to close significantly. The wound on his thigh, while it ached still, no longer spilled blood onto the stone floor beneath them. All the strength and power he’d been deprived of since venturing back into this forsaken place returned to him with the velocity of a freighter, battering him and threatening to overwhelm his senses.

A part of Jaikus wished to belief that this subtle act – this conscious decision to heal the Marauder’s wounds when Raze could have greedily hoarded it for himself - had come from Emryc, an influence still existing on the beast on full display now. It was that thought that Jaikus clung to, something that brought him some degree of comfort the longer he stared into those wild, animalistic eyes.

Jaikus sat in complete silence as the Sith Lord rose from where he was sitting, blasting apart the platform as if it was nothing but the slightest inconvenience. Jaikus could do nothing but watch in silence as the Sith Lord brutally exposed the Force Nexus that had been at the heart of the subterranean surface, an objective that Jaikus had never questioned finally coming to light as the half-Sephi began twisting and suffocating the light from the font of power.

Minutes or more passed before Jaikus roused from his position. A choice had begrudgingly been laid out before Jaikus, and for better or worse, he’d finally made it.

Slowly but surely, Jaikus rose to his feet, no longer buckling beneath his own weight. Where there had once been a weakness and pain tinging his every step, newfound strength practically bristled off him. Being in such close proximity to the Nexus, it was a power the likes of which Jaikus had never experienced before, a sensation that was only amplified in its potency by the fact that they had been so weak before.

Striding to stand beside the Sith Lord, Jaikus initially pausing for several long moments before eventually extending a hand outward towards the Nexus, mimicking the half-Sephi’s actions. Where there had once been vivid emeralds, the Marauder’s iris’ luminescing with that familiar citrine tint as he too began to pour his energies into the Nexus – all the feelings of anger and frustration that had boiled within him finally pouring outward in a focused stream, crashing against the font of power and seeking to twist it once and for all.

The very Nexus itself hissed and screamed as the pair of Sith assault it with the energies of the Dark Side, slowly but surely beginning to drive the last vestiges of the light from it. For better or worse, Jaikus had decided to stand beside the Sith Lord and aid him in finishing the job. For better or worse, Jaikus wasn’t going to abandon the half-Sephi now.

It was a choice that would stay with the Marauder for the rest of his days.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

If there was any reaction to seeing the horrors and fear play across Jaikus’ face, it certainly did not manifest on Raze’s face. The man was singularly focused, his sights set solely on the nexus. He poured his energies into it, filling it with darkness. It was adding drops of black ink into clear water. It began to swirl and fill the space, rapidly changing the color and tainting it entirely. Jaikus joined in on the efforts, and still Raze did not react.

With both men pouring their energies in, the nexus was rapidly corrupted and twisted back into what it was always meant to be. Back into the form it thrived in. It took a long time of sustained Force use to feed the nexus, and it was unclear just how long. In the end, the black and corrupt nexus throbbed and teemed with life before them. The path was clear to go through it and beyond it for whatever waited at the very end.

The ultimate prize. The reason for coming here.

Raze slowly drew his hand back from where he had been pouring the energy in. His hand returned to his side, yellow gaze fixed on the nexus. For a long moment he watched it in silence, the rippling miasma reflecting against the vibrant yellow surfaces of his eyes. The Sith Lord said nothing, and he made no move towards the path ahead.

With the Force at his command, his mind was once again an impenetrable fortress. The half Sephi stared for a few more moments before his hands reached for the face covering that was bunched around his neck. Without a single word, he pulled it back above his mouth and nose. The Sith Lord then spun on his heel and strode from the room. He walked back towards the path that brought him here, quick and purposeful steps taking him swiftly away.

There was no danger now. There was nothing left to harm Jaikus or stop him from claiming the prize. But the Sith Lord wanted nothing to do with this place. He wanted no part in it. He didn’t want to know what was beyond the nexus. He turned on it for good. And he would never look back again.

He was once again as cold, detached and methodical as he was when Jaikus had first found him.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

As Jaikus poured energy into the Nexus, beads of sweat began to form and run down the sides of his face. Bristling with newfound power as he was, the process of stifling the last bits of light from the Nexus was no easy feat – a constant, steady outpouring of his own reserves of strength and unyielding concentration required to drive the natural font of Force energy to the Dark Side.

When the Nexus finally rippled and blackened, capitulating to their efforts, Jaikus managed to crack a faint smile. In that moment, he could see a new pathway reveal itself through the Nexus – a stairway opening in the floor and leading down a small flight. They had finally succeeded in clearing the path that had eluded them for so long, the prize and reason for coming to the temple finally within their reach. Immediately, the Marauder began to step forward toward their shared objective, only to hesitate when he saw the half-Sephi moving in the opposite direction.

Don't..

Turning to his left, Jaikus could do nothing but watch with growing despair as the Sith Lord wordlessly pulled up his mask turned on a heel and left the way he came. Instinctively, Jaikus wanted to follow as he had before – dutifully trailing the half-Sephi as the man carved a path ahead, but the way he moved indicating that he did not wish to be followed.

In that moment, Jaikus wanted desperately to say something to the Sith Lord, something – anything – that might get him to stop in his tracks. As they so often did in situations such as these, the words caught in Jaikus’ throat when he tried to vocalize them, his mouth left slightly open as the half-Sephi rounded a corner and disappeared out of view.

“Em-…” When the sound finally passed from Jaikus’ lips, the half-Sephi was well out of earshot, far enough that even his advanced hearing would not be able to detect the meek attempt to stop him.

Jaikus had resolved not to leave the half-Sephi’s side, and yet now it was he who had been left entirely alone within the ancient chamber. Despite all that happened, he could feel the walls of distance that Emryc erected around himself as he left – leaving no space for the Marauder to protest or question. Despite all that had happened, it felt as if Jaikus had finally exceeded his usefulness, and his presence something that simply no longer tolerated by the half-Sephi.

For the first time since arriving on the planet, Jaikus allowed himself to look defeated. Up until this point, upon being pressed with some new obstacle or challenge that attempted to block their way, Jaikus had faced it defiantly – displaying an unwavering resolve and unwillingness to back down. But now? That familiar sensation of being punished shot through the Marauder's body. For the first time, that resolve began to crack apart and splinter – emotions crashing against the Marauder in tumultuous waves.

Leaning against a nearby wall, Jaikus allowed his body to slide down the smooth stone until he was sitting on the ground. He brought a leg up towards his chest while the other stretched out straight, his arm coming to rest against his knee. A distinct wetness had forced in the Marauder’s eyes, and it took a concerted effort on his part to prevent them from developing into more than that. Left alone in the chamber, Jaikus simply closed his eyes and allowed his emotions to bubble over and wash over him.

---​

When Jaikus opened his eyes once again, he could not tell how much time had passed. Had it been ten minutes? Thirty? An hour? The chamber was silent as a crypt, the dust having long settled from where the Sith Lord had blown the tiered platform to smithereens. All around him, those colossal statues towered and gazed down upon him - predecessors that silently judged him and his every action.

He hesitated for a long while more but eventually, slowly but surely, the Marauder rose to his feet - wordlessly brushing the dirt that clung to his badly damaged armor. The path still lied open ahead of him, and with the half-Sephi long gone, there was nothing left to do but claim what he'd originally come for and leave.

Striding past the rippling miasma, Jaikus began down the short flight of stairs that dipped beneath the floor, following them downward until he entered into a small, circular chamber beneath where the platform had been not long ago. Torches lined the wall and burned as if they'd only been lit hours prior - casting the room in an orange glow and serving to illuminate the only figure within the chamber - a small stone pedestal, upon which rested a crown wrought in black and gold. Alongside the crown sat a set of ancient scrolls.

Cautiously, the Marauder approached the pedestal from the doorframe - carefully reaching forward to lift the crown from where it had been meticulously been placed. Immediately, his eyes began to scan the room for some kind of reaction - another boobytrap waiting to slice through him, or a horrific creature ready to spring from a dark corner. After everything he had experienced, he had come to expect

When no such consequence came, Jaikus allowed himself to reach for the scrolls - repeating the same process and scanning the room before he finally allowed himself to inspect the items that he now held. Through all the struggle, in spite of Dathomirian witches and face-changing monstrosities, the Marauder had finally claimed the prize that he had set out for. Victory and all its spoils were his.

So why did it feel so bittersweet to claim?

---
​

Hours had passed, and the snow had once more begun to fall upon the mountains of Telos. After endless walking back from the depths of the temple below, Jaikus reentered the makeshift camp he had established – willing the door open with a simple swipe of his hand as he had once before. A quick glance around would reveal that Emryc had arrived before, already clearing the camp of his belongings on his way out and leaving only those that Jaikus had originally brought with him. The space had been meticulously cleaned by the Marauder earlier in the evening when Emryc had gone to hunt, but only now did he take notice of a detail he’d missed. The mushroom from earlier in the afternoon – the one Emryc had foolishly tucked into his beltloop as if it were a lightsaber – sat on the table in the center of the room, having shriveled slightly from the time that had passed.

Silence engulfed Jaikus as he gathered the remainder of his things from the camp, leaving the mushroom where it lie as he passed from the temple entrance and was greeted by the familiar chill of the air. Rather than harsh howling of winter gale’s, the weather had tempered significantly now – windless and calm, with only the faintest falling of snow drifting to the surface.

Freshly fallen powder had begun to fill in the spaces, but Jaikus could still distinctly make out the sight of two angelic figure which had been sillily left in the snow in the distance from where he was standing. The more he looked, the more the memories flashed across his mind – still fresh and vivid in their detail. Memories of frustration that gave way to a volley of snowballs and and puffer-pigs laughs. Of a genuine smile worn unapologetically, and low baritone laugh elicited in response.

Jaikus’ eyes lingered for a while longer then they should have, the faintest thing resembling a smile tugging at his lips before he forced himself to look away, focusing on the path ahead of him and nothing behind. When the Marauder finally arrived back at his starfighter, only then did the silence break. It was not Jaikus’ voice that rose to fill the void, but instead the synthetic tune of 12-H7D, ‘Twelves’, Jaikus’ personal Protocol droid.

“Oh, master, welcome back!” The droid spoke with its usually upbeat, cheery demeanor. The sound of it twisted knots in the Marauder’s stomach. “I was beginning to worry!”

Jaikus did not respond. He ducked his head slightly as he passed into the cockpit compartment of his ship, gently placing his bittersweet prize down into the passenger seat beside him. He wordlessly settled into the pilot’s seat of his ship, flicking on the engines and preparing to leave the planet. He hoped he would never return.

“Master, are you alright?”

/Exit Thread

@Sreeya