The Light Below - Closed

[Jessica Cloud]

​

Prologue
Keller's Maze
The Brightlands, Tython

The Brightlands was a gaping expanse of mountainous forest fissures and beautiful underground vistas. Volcanic in origin, these jagged canyons and deep blistering undergrounds thrived with wet jungle life. Subterranean water formations licked and cut, and cleaved into every sharp rock. Polishing smooth gray stones with green ferns and fauna. Making it hard to tell where the top of the jagged canyons began and where the bottom of the deepest rivers ended. It all seemed a maze of the twisted mind. Leaving even gravity and laws of physics to gasp at the strange natural formations.

Boulders like squares. Hard edges and clean lines. Minecraft and a mind maze. This was the part of the Brightlands they called Keller's Maze. A stone fortress built and composed as if by a children's LEGO fantasy. Twisting, bending, breaking, and building itself up. All anew. Even along perfectly folded creases. A geometry all it's own. Where the light came down from the sky and bent back up from the water. Glittering like your shadow on the green grass walls. A flickering in the dark. Both ways.

"Kine? ...You see anything yet?"

"Nope. But the air smells kinda fishy, no?"

Jessica Cloud stepped up closer to the edge of the leafy cliff. Looking down at the jagged steams below. So far, far below. ...Still? Her partner was right. The maze did kind of smell like a wet swampy mess today. Even the tinge of pine and hum of the birds was already absent this far down. They must have been several layers deep already.

"Well. Keep an eye out. Once you get past the flowers and the giant waterways? That's where the cave bats start nesting."

"Ah. Afraid of a little bat trouble, are you Cloud? Worried the vampires might come out to play?"

Cloud stepped back from the edge and frowned at his playful candor. They hadn't brought sidearms for nothing ya know. She checked the stun setting on her pistol again. Just to be sure,

"The average cave bat of Tython travels in colony of about six hundred adults. That's a lot of bat problems if you asked me."

"Sooo... Why the pistols then? You aren't planning on shooting down six hundred little nasties, are you?"

She shook her head and looked towards the next rocky precipice from whence she'd lay claim. Using the Force she ran and leapt out for it. Sailing through the air like a bird and an eagle. Coming to land many, many far meters away onto the grassy outcropping. Sticking the landing. She smiled. Only a Jedi could make such a jump. Only a crazy person would even try.

"The guns are for the matriarchs, Padawan. They come in about the size of a large air speeder and unlike their smaller bat-brethren? Ha. They enjoy attacking and carrying off invaders to their home and righteous maze. ...That's why we brought the guns, Kine. Because I'm expecting company. Just about anytime soon."

The thin Padawan Kine frowned and shook his curly brown hair,

"Ya know. The next time you invite me down into a Jedi Jumping Puzzle filled with killer bats and giant man-eating planets? ...Don't."

He lifted up his gun and hoisted up his chin. Then, following Knight Cloud's example, he leapt out from the green ridge line and down onto the next grassy plateau. Flying through the air like a bird and an eagle. Making a far landing that only a Jedi could make. Though...

"Kark it Cloud! You have to be crazy to keep leaping about like this! Gahh!"

"What? You wanted me to bring repelling gear or something? ...It's a Jedi maze. You're supposed, to jump it."

The 23 year old Padawan huffed and puffed to grab his breath. Yeah well. He might have disagreed with that perspective. Just a little bit.

Jessica looked out over another giant expanse. Then she jumped down that one too. Causing poor Kine to realize that he had many, many more jumps still ahead of himself to go.

He sighed,

"Gosh darn it Cloud. You're going to get me killed. Ugh."

"...Come on Kine! Just one more and we'll take a break!" Her voice echoed up at him.

"Stop shouting! You're like to call one of those bats or something!"

He frowned deeper and moved to the cliff's boxy edge. Sure enough. She was already a good way's below him on dry ground. Blast it. Why did he sign up for this? Did the Tython Temple Grounds really need some old purification artifact from down here? This was too much.

"Hey Cloud?"

"What! Jump down already!"

"Why are we doing this again!?"

Jessica sighed and holstered her pistol. Here we go again,

"Because Keller's Maze is home to Keller's Root. A special kind of flowering plant with purifying properties in the Force. Just one white cube of that stuff and we'll be able to purify the whole Temple grounds. It's a tradition. ...I think?"

Kine seemed none to impressed. He remained right where he was too.

"Well. Just for the record? ...You're crazy. Okay."

"Jump down here you pansy. You aren't going to make the Knight Trials just by sitting on your butt up there anyways."

"Fine. But also for the record..."

He leapt down and finally landed with a thud.

"Umph!" Kine slapped his thighs with distaste, "...Also for the record. Jedi don't call other Jedi, pansies."

Jess sighed and shook her head to her companion.

"Kine. Don't be a pansy. ...Come on. Let's go. It's just this way. We're almost to the grove anyway."

"Wait! I thought you said we could take a break!?"

"I did. But then I noticed that the bat's were beginning to stir in the lights below us. I'd give us... Meh. Twelve minutes tops to make it to the doorway. Before they start swarming, anyway."

"What!?"

"Come on then. Or you'll be taking your break with the Matriarchs."

"Gaghhh! ...Wait up! Cloud! ...Wait for me! Hey! ...Slow down! Gackt! ...Cloud!"

...

Boulders like squares. Hard edges and clean lines. Minecraft and a grassy mind maze. This was Keller's Maze. A stone fortress built and composed as if by a children's LEGO fantasy. Twisting, bending, breaking, and building itself up. A geometry all it's own. Where the light came down from the sky up above and then bent back up from the crystal clear waters below. Glittering. Like your shadow on the green grassy walls. Nay. A flickering in the dark. The fluttering of the enemies wings. A black quest for the rarest plant root of them all. Yes. Oh yes now.

A quest for The Light Below.

.....

*ooc: (closed thread.)​

 

[Jessica Cloud]

​

The Inner Door
Layer 12, Keller's Maze
Tython Subterranean

The Inner Door was a geometric marvel carved from shear white stone and laid together in a triangle formation. A giant gaping doorway from whence one could travel from the twinkling daylight of the upward bounding maze. Down, down, down. Into the black wilderness of The Black Grotto caverns below. A cave formation made from near midnight's bluest stars. A wonder and a marvel all the same.

Here. On the edge of darker fantasies and nearer to the first stairs of a new adventure. Jessica Cloud and Blake Kine took their first, respite.

"Huhgh. Huhgh. Huhgh. ...Damn it Cloud. Ugh... Hard to catch my breath, ya know. Why did we jump down here all the way. Ugh..."

"Whoa. Whoa. Easy there soldier. It's fine. We're waiting here for the others anyway. Take a breather. Sheesh."

The darkly clothed Padawan Blake Kine leaned down to rest his palms on his knees and gasp for even more wet jungle air. Blast it. All this jumping and climbing had really gotten to the boy. He was pooped,

"Wait... What others? I thought you said,"

"...The other Jedi who wanted to come along, of course? Goodness. You didn't think we'd be risking the Black Grotto all by ourselves did you? ...Damn it Kine. It's dangerous in there. Don't be so bold as to think you can champion it alone, ya know? Only a fool does that."

"WHAT!? ...ME!? ...Me think what!?"

"Yes you. Goodness Kine. Only a pansy thinks they can take on the Grotto alone and survive. Tsk tsk tsk. Didn't I tell you not to go getting ahead of yourself? What would your Master think, eh? He'd be furious right about now, ya know."

"Knight Cloud. You are a terrible person and I hope you die badly. ...Seriously. Just... Why?"

Jessica smiled and giggled a little bit inside. She always had so much fun with other people's Padawans. Ahh. So refreshing. Torture. Her favorite. I mean, what were Padawans for anyway but hazing and trolling into a college sport. Hehe. Such goof balls. So young. So tender. So eager to be molded into mush.

"Relax Kine." The brunette Inquisitor nodded. "I think I hear our friend's arriving just above us now. You won't have to wait long, anyway."

"...Still, hating you. Ugh."

Knight Cloud holstered her pistol and folded her arms against her chest. Standing with her back to the great doorway that would lead them down into the belly of the beast. One step closer to their goal. The Light Below. Keller's purifying root. The sacred item from whence they finally could cleanse their lost temple. All was at the ready now. All she needed now was for the rest of the Jedi Knights to join her.

This.

This was where the real fun begins.

.....

*ooc: (closed thread.)​