The Other Side

[Sreeya]

Andraste looked over at the cave and began to run after Aeslan. She paused for a moment.

"Wait, you're a Jedi! Why am I following you!"

She cursed and turned to run in the opposite direction. After about thirty seconds, she came running back, scowling.

"I figure I could get some Jedi information out of you. I have my duties as a Sith..yeah.."

She absentmindedly followed him, grumbling to herself. Andraste complained the whole way, remarking on the uselessness of Jedi, and why simply destroying everything wasn't a good option. Andraste crouched down to enter the cave, squinting in an attempt to see. Smoke rose far away, and she secretly hoped the fire would burn every spider down. Regardless, there was a tug at the back of her mind, the side of her that truly cherished nature. Sighing, Andraste found a far away corner and sat down, hugging her knees to herself. The lack of pants meant that the already cold cave was frigid. She glared at the ground, resting her chin on her knees.

"I could've taken those spiders.."

 

[Demiurge]

By this time, Aeslan was already exhausted from bantering back and forth with Andraste. It was as if no matter what they were arguing about, it was something he did that was the cause of it, or how he was useless, and how all Jedi were whatever. It went beyond personal, it was just outright annoying.

"By the Force - do you ever shut up?!" Aeslan said, snapping back at her, before continuing to move on again.

Aeslan kept onward, squeezing into the cave entrance ahead of Andraste. The moment he did, Aeslan collapsed near the entrance, with his back against the cave wall. He began closing his eyes from exhaustion, but was still alert enough to see Andraste shivering in a corner. Although those tattered, soaked pants weren't doing her any good, he felt partially responsible for her condition, and a ping of guilt for a Sith pricked his conscience.

Getting up, Aeslan took off the upper tunic of his Jedi garb, and dropped it down on Andraste's legs.

"Use it, keep yourself warm."

Without another word, Aeslan went back to his spot, and sat in a meditative position, utilizing the Jedi technique, Tapas. It wasn't a skill he had significant skill in, but he could at least conserve what heat was in his body. After all, he possessed a naturally higher heart rate and body temperature than Humans, so he was better off as it was. As difficult as it was, Aeslan found rest in a stressful night.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste pushed the tunic away as he offered it to her, scowling at him. She turned away, hugging herself even tighter as she thought of things far away. She thought back to the Sith temples, back to those she considered friends. Life there was so different than out in the galaxy. She had expected Jedi to kill her on the spot, but this one saved her life multiple times. Was it a ploy to win her trust? She sighed, shivering in the cold. The wet clothing on top of the chill of the cave made her freeze. She thought about the hot sands of Korriban, the mere thought bringing her a measure of comfort.

At some point, Andraste pulled the tunic to herself, curling up in it. It reeked of Jedi and was still wet, but it was better than nothing. Andraste closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep. She was still aware of her surroundings, but she knew it wouldn't be smart to pointlessly stay up. Andraste's thoughts went far away, back to Varek, and then finally Exodeus. She began to shiver especially, as her mind almost always found its way back to him. Despite the unpleasant thoughts, she found herself drifting off.

---​

Andraste opened her eyes slowly, squinting because a ray of light pierced through the cave entrance. For a moment she thought she was back in the Sith academy, and the entire Naboo thing was a nightmare. Andraste sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Ugh..I'm late for training.."

She removed her hand and it promptly landed on something smooth. Andraste looked down to note that she had been laying curled up extremely close to Aeslan. Her eyes widened and she immediately slapped him, even though he wasn't awake yet. Andraste jumped back, pointing at him accusingly.

"You pervert!! What did you do??!"

As she thought about it, she realized it was mostly her fault as she desperately wanted to find a source of heat. However, that was a fact she would take to her grave.

 

[Demiurge]

Sleeping with a Sith. If it hadn't been happening right before his eyes, Aeslan would never have believed it. But then, his life had always delivered him unexpected twists and turns, since the years of his birth until now. And now, here he was, meditating to warm his body until sleep overtook him.

Aeslan's consciousness dimmed as exhaustion took over, swaying him. The bitterness of the cold touched him to his core, but he was still warm enough to ignore it for the time. And in time, his mind darkened in sleep.

---​

It wasn't the warmth of the Nabooian sun, or the gentle winds near the mountains. It wasn't the sounds of the chirping birds or the morning animals grazing. It wasn't even a gentle nudge. No, Aeslan woke up the next morning to a sharp stinging pain and a whack jerking his head aside. The young Jedi groaned irritatedly and half in shock - both from the wake up and from the disorientation - and glared sharply at the figure standing above him.

"Dammit, what the hell are you doing?!" he yelled, bringing his hand to the side of his face.

Aeslan clinched his eyes closed, both from the bright sun and in pain from the unprovoked slap. As he regained his senses, Aeslan looked back up, and remembered where he was.

"Oh, that's right," he said, leaning his head back against the cave wall, "Wait a second, what are you doing over here?"

Right then, Aeslan realized she wasn't just out of place, he'd moved slightly deeper into the cave, "Wait a second, what am I doing over here? Ugh, whatever."

As Aeslan looked forward and then sharply looked away as he got up, his face having blushed as his eyes had laid straight upon the trouser-less area of Andraste. "A-alright, we're both up, let's get moving," Aeslan said, walking toward the end of the cave, "But I guess we should find something to eat first."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste's jaw dropped at how indifferent he appeared to be.

"You were being a pervert! Who knows what you did while I was asleep! I'm beginning to question what they teach you at Jedi temples.."

She followed his gaze, down to her lower body which was bare save for underwear. Andraste's face mimicked his in color, and she slapped him yet again.

"STOP GAWKING! I know as a Jedi you've never seen a woman before, but come on."

Andraste muttered angrily to herself, wandering over to pick up his top. She tied it around her waist for a makeshift skirt which looked completely ridiculous. However, it was the best she could work with. Andraste stepped out of the cave and noticed that a quarter of the forest was burnt and charred. She stared at the damage for a moment, looking as if she had regrets. After a second, she shrugged and began making her way down the cliff face.

"Let's see if we can find some fried animals."

 

[Demiurge]

"Oh don't flatter yourself," Aeslan said as he got up, "Besides, from the look of it, you moved your fair distance from your end."

The second slap from Andraste came pretty much as no surprise. Even if he hadn't blushed, the Sith girl was so flustered, she'd be susceptible to slap him anyways. Hell, she'd probably make up an excuse while she was at it.

"Well, at the risk of you slapping me again," Aeslan started, "How's about we head out?"

As Aeslan exited the cave, he gazed upon the charred forests. It was a pitiful scene, but surprisingly, the damage was not nearly as expansive as he thought it'd be. After all, Naboo was a forest world, very terrestrial. This planet must be naturally developed to content with recurring fires.

"No, we get fruit," Aeslan said, "That'll give us the energy we need to make it through the morning hours. Besides, the meat of the animals that died here is probably beginning to rot. I wouldn't eat it."

At that, Aeslan headed out, toward the still lush parts of the forests, "Come on, or else I'll just bring you something back."

 

[Sreeya]

"Fruit? Ugh, you're pathetic."

She stopped as he spoke, grinning.

"Why yes, why don't you bring some food back for me then?"

Andraste scowled.

"Never mind, I don't want rabbit food."

She walked past him, back towards the forest. Andraste's nose crinkled at the smell of charred forestry. She spotted a few dead animals, but they looked rotten, as Aeslan had predicted. She was beginning to grow irritated by how often he was right. More than that, she was infuriated by the fact that he repeatedly saved her. Andraste spotted a deer far off in the distance, preparing lightning. She looked over at Aeslan, hesitating for a moment.

"Um.. we have two options. This or saber throw. I'm not very good with sabers."

 

[Demiurge]

Aeslan moved along with Andraste, searching for food. Even though he had told her fruit was best, he knew she was still searching for meat, looking at animal carcasses, spoiled as they were.

All the while, Aeslan's eyes stayed upward, looking at the canopys above. And what he saw made his face curl into a grin. Just then, he heard Antraste speak up, asking him if they should use the Force or lightsabers. It was a deer, or somthing close enough to one.

"Sure thing then... we'll use the lightsaber," Aeslan began, continuing to listen as Andraste stated she wasn't as good at using them "Don't worry about it - I am."

At that, Aeslan telekinetically pulled Andraste's lightsaber from her and grabbed it, activating it and threw it ahead, in the direction of the deer. However, as it approached, it shot upwards, spiraling near to the canopies above. In a moment's notice, the lightsaber blade severed a large branch, dropping right near to the deer, scaring it off. And the branch that fell was full of various fruits, large and plentiful.

"See?" he said, as the lightsaber was recalled to his hand, "I can work miracles."

Aeslan grinned as he handed Andraste's lightsaber back to her, and began heading toward the large branch with vegetation and fruits upon it.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste nodded in approval. Finally, Aeslan was on the same page as her and willing to make himself useful. As she felt him tug her saber away, she eyed him suspiciously. Why couldn't he simply use his own? Andraste watched him throw the saber. It was a precise shot, right on target. She couldn't have done that herself and grinned at the prospect of the deer immediately falling over dead. They would eat damn well toni- WHAT! Andraste stepped forth, watching as the saber zoomed upwards of its own accord, slicing through a branch instead. It dropped to the ground, and she watched as the deer scampered off.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!! YOU-YOU-..YOU!!"

She couldn't muster words, her jaw hanging open in utter disbelief as the saber came floating back. Andraste limply accepted her saber, muttering incoherently. She simply stared ahead, absentmindedly walking towards the branch as if tugged along by an invisible force. She was still processing what happened, anger threatening to overflow.

"I'm going to murder you, you insufferable jackass!"

She curled her fingers into fists, her rage pulsating. Andraste looked ahead, preparing to electrocute the deer simply out of spite. She raised her hand, electricity dancing between her fingers. She spotted the deer off in the distance, and watched as it approached a smaller deer, a fawn. Andraste stared for a moment, tilting her head to the side. There was confusion in her face as she watched the two animals interact. The electricity disappeared back into her body. Andraste watched until the two deer wandered deeper into the woods and out of sight, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Realizing that Aeslan was probably looking, she quickly turned to him. With a scowl, she flicked her hand, making an apple fly over to slam into his head.

"You're so infuriating. I bet your Order ditched you out here hoping you'd just get lost and die somewhere."

Andraste sighed and plopped down, angrily picking out random fruits while complaining about the food options. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but ponder on the two deer and how she had hesitated to kill. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that made her slightly uncomfortable.

 

[Demiurge]

And it came. Of course, who could blame her? Where he in her position, he'd have flown off the handle himself as well. But Aeslan ignored it and continued onward to the fallen fruits. He was hungry, and wasn't in the mood to trade blows with her. As he continued walking, however, he noticed the deer not too far off, and froze in his steps. He'd expected the deer to have run a good ways off, but instead, was still in the proximity.

And then, Aeslan's empathy filled his senses with malice and vexation. Instinctively, Aeslan turned to Andraste, whose hands were indigo with electrical energies. For a split moment, Aeslan was prepared to run into her path and block the attack. However, before he could, he could sense her intent subside. And that's when he saw it, the deer and its apparent offspring. But all of it paled for the sight of a genuine smile touching Andraste's face, especially when she herself realized she was smiling. It was priceless.

As she flung an apple to his head, Aeslan held his hand out, catching it with ease as he walked up to her. He began taking bites out of it, savoring the taste. It was rare to taste natural fruit not manufactured on industrial worlds. The only thing ruining the moment was Andraste's incessant ramblings at him. As she began mouthing off that the Jedi Order likely allowed to come here to die, Aeslan groaned in frustration and then used the Force to telekinetically pull a mango-like fruit from the fallen branch, and swiftly shove the end of it into her open mouth.

"Would you JUST shut up and eat? Please?" he said, almost pleading.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste was about to highlight on how effective Sith were at getting things done, but promptly had a fruit jammed into her mouth. For a moment, she angrily yelled at him through it, muffled by the fruit. Andraste dislodged it and resisted the urge to slap him again, deciding that the constant slapping was taxing her energy. She quietly sat and bit into the strange fruit, surprised at the burst of flavor. Of course, the juices began to dribble down and she got a mouthful of seeds, which she promptly spat out.

"How can you like this stuff? It's so...complicated.."

She gingerly picked out the seeds, grimacing at the sight. Andraste hated fruits, and she disliked most sweet things. However, this one wasn't half bad minus the overly complicated maneuvers she had to do to eat it. By the end of it, her arms were completely coated in sticky residue from the fruit. Immediately a wide variety of bugs flew over. Andraste zapped them out of the air, growing progressively more irritated.

"Can we find a way out? You know your way around, right? Please tell me you do. I don't know how much longer I can stand this. I'm half tempted to burn the entire forest down so we have a clear view of the other side."

 

[Demiurge]

Aeslan sighed as he heard her yelling with the fruit in her mouth. He didn't even turn to give her the satisfaction of his attention. Not outwardly, at least. With it being only the two of them, he couldn't help but have his attention partial to the only other sentient being around him. Aeslan just maintained eating the red apple, scouting out the surroundings in the meantime, until he heard her ask about how he could eat seeded fruits.

"Complicated? It's fruit - doesn't get much more simple than that," he said, looking back at her spitting the seeds out, "What do you eat when you don't have any meat? Rocks?"

For a moment, finally, there was a period of peace. At least, between the two of them. Aeslan finished his apple till he reached the core, while he periodically found himself staring back at Andraste as she electrocuted the insects revolving around her and her fruit.

"Nope," Aeslan said, mellowly "Never been into the forests of Naboo without just heading from city to city, never been on my own out here. Right now, I'm just allowing the Force to guide my steps."

Aeslan then glanced back as he stood upright, "And, before you go and get us both killed, how about, do us and this whole planet a favor and kark your temptation for a while."

Aeslan then made a smug scoff, "Might do you some good, actually."

At that Aeslan started walking ahead, trekking toward the high point of a nearby clifftop.

"You coming?" he asked, glancing back at Andraste.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste sighed and got to her feet, following him. As she did so, she remained quiet, deep within her thoughts. There was inner turmoil as she spent more time with the Jedi. She did not trust him, and she had been trained to kill Jedi. However, something stopped her every time. She looked at him, his back turned to her. It would be so easy to kill him, and the temptation welled within her mind like poison, tainting her thoughts. However, that tiny part of her psyche put the chains on her emotions, grasping her thoughts and forcefully quelling them.

She walked till they reached the top of the cliff. Not used to walking so much or being in unfamiliar areas, she abruptly plopped down on the grass, laying down and scowling up at the sky.

"Just go on without me...I'm miserable, I need a bath and I hate this. Maybe some animals will come eat me."

Andraste was surprised at her rather emo words, but decided she simply did not feel like continuing this journey that would lead nowhere. On top of that, she hated how she simply adjusted to being in the company of a Jedi. Part of her believed that perhaps he would be out of danger if he weren't with her.

 

[Demiurge]

​

He didn't even take a moment to think about it. Between her moaning and his frustrations, it was a wonder that they'd stuck together this long. But he'd be lying if it wasn't taking its toll on him as well - being lost on Naboo.

"Yeah, you're right," Aeslan said, turning back at her, "You are definitely miserable, dirty, and if there's one thing you can do, it's hate."

At that, Aeslan knelt down near Andraste, "But, I'll be damned to Chaos if I just leave you here," Immediately, Aeslan placed his arms beneath her back and her knees, and rose up, carrying her in a cradle like fashion.

Grinning at her, Aeslan then turned around, "So let's g--"

He was the first turning around, the first to see it. His eyes instantly became fixated, tuning out the world around him. For kilometers and kilometers, entrenched in-throughout an old valley between cliffsides, ancient architectural structures, crumbling buildings, broken bridges; an overgrown dead city.

"Something's wrong...." he said, almost in a whisper as his body shivered, "I feel... cold."

Ruins of an ancient, and obviously Naboo, civilization. Golden stones, almost glowing in the beams of sunlight, but it was a city uncharted. Though he was lost, he knew that Theed had no surrounding settlements for miles upon miles. Least of all one located in a valley. It was a hidden place, isolated from the rest of the world.

"This shouldn't be here..." Aeslan said, as a cold sweat came over him, "*We* shouldn't be here - we're going ba--"

Just as Aeslan began to turn around, a section of the clifftop fractured, shattering as it dropped Aeslan and Andraste off the side, tumbling to the bottom, where another pool resided.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste gasped as she was once again scooped up off the ground. She struggled against him.

"Would you stop treating me like luggage?! I can't even be tragic in peace!"

She stopped when she noticed he was staring off. Andraste looked in the same direction, her eyes widened at the sight. It was mesmerizing, breathtaking. For a moment, she simply forgot about her current predicament. She hopped down from his arms, stepping towards the edge. There was an energy, it was welcoming. It was so warm and inviting, and she turned to look at Aeslan with confusion.

"Cold? It feels amazing..that place is calling to me.. I want to..want to.."

She looked down, the ground trembling slightly. Her eyes widened as she prepared to move, but it was too late. With a scream, she fell backwards and off the cliff, the ground completely giving away underneath her. Andraste fell into water, coming up moments later. She splashed helplessly, attempting to stay afloat.

"Not...this..AGAIN!"

 

[Demiurge]

It was just like before in a way, yet different as well. Although unexpected, impact of the fall was nothing like before. He was dazed from the blow a bit, but it was nothing to disorient him. Even with the suddenness of it all, Aeslan's mind went straight to Andraste. He wasn't only carrying her, she couldn't swim, and she was earlier exhausted. He didn't have to search for more than a moment's notice, however, as he heard her yells from behind him.

"Would you STOP thrashing like that?" Aeslan said, as he grabbed her and began swimming toward the banks.

The mud caked up on his knees and legs as he grounded himself in the mud while pulling Andraste out as well. Aeslan barely turned around when his sight was blocked by a large structure with golden-like bricks, overgrown and aged like ruins.

"Guess this is the part where someone says this whole thing must have been the will of the Force." Aeslan said, sarcastically.

Aeslan ran his hands over the side of the bricks, dusting away to see various rune-like carvings written neatly along certain points.

"I'm no archeologist, but... I've never seen anything like these before," he said, turning back to Andraste, "Have you?"

 

[Sreeya]

This time, Andraste didn't struggle when he grabbed her in the water. She simply scowled and let him swim them both to the banks. Andraste sighed as she got to her feet, once again wiping mud off herself.

"This falling into water and getting splattered with mud routine is really getting old.."

She looked up when Aeslan spoke while staring at the bricks. Andraste walked over to him and shoved him out of the way.

"Move, idiot."

She studied the symbols for a moment, her face scrunching up in confusion. Andraste's eyes widened a moment later.

"These are ancient Sith runes! My Alchemy master had similar runes when he infused-"

She looked at Aeslan suspiciously, quickly clearing her throat.

"Anyway, it's partially Sith, and mostly something I can't decipher. Oh well, suppose that means we should explore."

Without a second thought to how this could all be a horrible trap, Andraste casually strode into the nearest temple. The smell of decay hit her almost immediately, and she sneezed as dust filled the air. The wide arches and high ceilings marked this almost as a place of worship. However, there was darkness in it, and the further she walked in, the stronger the presence was.

"It feels like this place is alive.."

As she walked deeper, she looked over at the walls, surprised to see elongated stains of what looked like blood. Andraste's hand instinctively went to her lightsaber. She crept in closer, hearing a scurrying noise. She quickly drew her saber, not igniting yet. Whatever was making the noise was getting closer. Andraste's heart began to pound against her chest. She took a few more steps, completely alert. Suddenly, the monster darted out, its shadow taking up the entire wall. Andraste screamed and jumped back, colliding against Aeslan with enough force to knock them both over. She quickly looked down to see...a squirrel. The small creature quickly darted past them, leaving Andraste with her jaw hanging open. She looked at Aeslan and slapped him.

"Shut up, that was your fault."

She quickly got to her feet, grumbling angrily as she stormed down the hallway, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

 

[Demiurge]

Aeslan recalled that it was said a Force sensitive could feel alignment shifts in areas strong with the Force, isolated locations, or sometimes even entire worlds. Some were obvious, others were hidden. But this place... it was like something cold was stabbing through him to the bone. It was chilling, unnerving. But nothing as much as when he heard Andraste utter the word "alchemy".

"Sith Magic?" he said, in a whisper, almost in spite.

Sith Magic has long been one of the few things Jedi as a whole have been taught to fear. Corrupting and powerful in ways like none other in the Force. In fact, many thousands of years ago, it reached the point that the ancient Jedi attempted to purge all known Sith Magic from the galaxy, from amulets to scrolls, although to no avail. And Sith Alchemy was one of the best known aspects of Sith Magics. Suffice to say, hearing those words caused Aeslan to freeze in his tracks.

"Well, if you can't read the hieroglyphs," Aeslan said, following her inside nonetheless, "then why are we going in? What kind of sense does that make?"

Rotting matter filled Aeslan's senses. The apparent temple was large, fitted with archs and many carvings. It was obvious a place of great importance or reverence. And the deeper they went in, the more Aeslan thought this entire thing was an infinitely bad idea.

"No," Aeslan said, in response to Andraste's comment, "This place reeks of the dead."

Immediately after, Aeslan saw it, an alter with blood stains streaming off and around it. Empty pans of ashes set on pedestals surrounded it. And piles of dust in lumps were found round about.

"Uon-thuiis, ack'ma she'reh kuun, mooh-sey khala falakoum ds'k'ala jshea..."

Aeslan's eyes beamed open, and he began frantically turning around, looking about as if for someone.

"Shh! Did you hear that?" he said, tensing.

Suddenly, Andraste screamed and jumped onto him, and instinctively, he held her as they both witnessed a squirrel emerge from the shadows. Failing to hid it, Aeslan broke out in a grin just as Andraste turned and slapped him.

"Of course... completely my fault," he said, as his smile began to fade.

Some was still off. He wanted to believe that was all he heard. That somehow, he was hearing the scratching of a glorified rodent, and the fear in his mind made it out to sound like... incantations. Then as he took his next step, he heard it again.

"Anas'ahirum taldari ahok booishi vahla-mok kari tess de'templari ita-chu khassahar..."

Aeslan instantly grabbed his head, gripping it as if he were in pain, and the incantations grew louder and louder in his head.

"Don't you hear it?!" he yelled to Andraste, "The chanting... someone's... someone's here! I can hear them! I can-"

Aeslan's body then seized up, as if convulsions were overtaking him. His muscles stiffened and his veins bulged, while he began choking and gagging. The last thing Aeslan could remember was the pain... the pain that was, simply put, overwhelming.

Suddenly, Aeslan's vision left him. And when his sights returned, he was in a dark room, the same as before. Smokes of unnatural origins filled the room. All around, individuals attired in black cloaks stood in circle around an altar, chanting in the same way that Aeslan had heard earlier. And at the center of the room, between the four pillars, was a girl, naked aside from a single blanket covering her.

As if by transvection, her body levitated in the air, and around her neck was a glowing amulet. A nexus of Force energies culminated around her from beneath, surging like a fire yet not consuming or even harming her. And as if by some clairvoyance granted to him by the Force, Aeslan knew what it was, the nature of the Force pulsating around him.

​

 

[Sreeya]

"Hear.. what?"

Andraste looked at him with confusion. In truth, her confusion masked the terror she felt creeping into her mind. Aeslan looked..off. Something wasn't right. She took a few steps back, watching changes take over him. His eyes glazed over, and for a moment it appeared as if he weren't on the same plane of reality as her. When he started convulsing, she stepped back even further, completely shocked by the display.

"What the hell are you doing?! This isn't funny!"

The Sith watched him, feeling the darkness enshroud him like a cloak. It was as if he were a magnet for all the dark energy within the ruins, and it all clung to him, amassing within his being. From the outside Andraste could only feel glimpses of it, yet she had no idea what he was seeing. She stepped forward, scowling as he continued to be trapped into whatever world his mind had entered.

"Snap out of it!"

Andraste grabbed him by the shoulder and promptly slapped him across the face. When that didn't work, she slapped him a few more times till she saw the light returning to his eyes. Andraste glared at him.

"What the hell was that? You should have warned me you had some type of mental disorder."

She noticed that she still had a grip of him, and quickly let go, stepping back to put distance between them. Andraste's voice softened when she spoke next.

"W-What did you see?"

She almost did not want to know.

 

[Demiurge]

It was like a jolt back to life. At first, there was nothing of him when he awakened, only disorientation and instinct; awakened in body, but not in mind, not yet cognitive. As several seconds passed, the pain of Anadraste's strikes set in, and Aeslan began regaining himself, just as one did when awakening from a deep sleep.

At first, Aeslan didn't say anything to Andraste's remark. Not that he particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth between them, but this time, he couldn't find the words, or the will to say them even if they were there. He fell backwards a bit as Andraste let go of her grip on him, and his arms instinctively reached out against the ground to protect him from the short fall.

Finally, he heard her say it in a voice that was strangely soothing in light of the most recent event. Gathering what strength appeared to have been lost to him, Aeslan slowly looked up at Andraste.

"It was... a secret place of mysticism," Aeslan's sight then departed as he stared off at the crumbled looking altar, "...And ritual. We are on what was once considered hallowed ground."

Aeslan's eyes then trailed off to the markings on the walls, the ones Andraste said looked similar to the Sith, then back at the center of the room.

"I saw it. It was like I was there - this is where they'd sacrifice others to the Dark Side in exchange for... something. It wasn't just power. At least I don't think it was."

Aeslan then stared off as he recalled what he saw, the unnaturalness of the Force at work, the amulet worn around the girl's neck, "What I saw... I think... this was one of the secret places where the early Sith first uncovered the secrecy of arcana and arts of sorcery."

At that, Aeslan then looked back up at Andraste, staring her straight in the eye, "I think this was one of the birth places of Sith Magic."