Fear the Brave

[Essien Inemesit]

KORRIBAN

He awoke in the darkness, but now stepped out into the morning light. Sands shifted and whipped with eerie winds, the voices of the valley calling to him. His armor and black cloak were enough to steel him for the journey ahead but still his feet didn't move. He just squinted at the distant horizon, feeling a pull to grip his lightsaber but embracing the futility of it.

Essien focused on the rewards that lie ahead, the prestige of the challenge. Memories inundated his judgement, an underlying fear driving him to be worthy. It was a vague, elusive quality that even now seemed to always slip from the fingers. But this only fueled the desire.

Out there, he would be the one to challenge the valley's crucible, seize victory against the machinations of the dead, and return with crown atop his head. His only challenger was himself, his own weakness. Or so he thought.

@DeeCeeP0

 

[Cawar]

This is what the Sith expect of you.

Thoughts buzzed through his brain, needling him. No honor, no bravery in stalking his prey, to see where it was leading him and then to pounce. Gladiators are proud, ruthless and dominated with their abilities. Hiding, crouching, sneaking was the way of cowards, the way of the weak. Cawar's face twisted, making sure his careful footsteps would not arouse suspicion.

I cannot be outdone

Black was his cloak, as his moved in the shadows, his ragged clothing a constant reminder of his meager upbringing. Not to forget the useless upbringing of begging to survive, until he joined the ranks of the gladiators. His weapon of choice, his lightsaber, hanging off his hip, tapping his leg as he moved closer. So close, he could definitely attack without him ever noticing. End it all, immediately, like a snake biting at a cath hound. That was not the way of a gladiator, though, as he stepped out of the shadows behind Essien making sure he heard his boot hitting the ground.

"Are you ready to suffer me?"

@Styx

 

[Essien Inemesit]

The stomp struck a tune up Essien's spine, the realization that he'd let someone sneak up on him ringing in his skull far too late for him to turn around now. Instead he turned his eyes in their sockets, trying not to show that he was trying to see whom it was behind him. He placed his fists upon his hips, parting his cloak to feel closer to his lightsaber. He was no stranger to underhanded backstabbers, knowing full well the lengths his peers would go to to get ahead. Though as he had grown older it seemed most Sith preferred, and even enjoyed, a straight up fight to shameless sneaking, sometimes only after flaunting their stealthy abilities just to say they could if they wanted to. Essien decided, however, that this Sith was here for the challenge, like him.

"Oh? So I'm not alone. If you have come to run the gauntlet of two kings, then it seems we are destined to compete. I am Essien Inemesit. And whom do I suffer?"

Finally, Essien bent the shoulder back to welcome the challenger join him, but also to discretely see this man to whom the voice belonged. If he had heard of the challenge Essien referred to, than he must've heard the same rumors that were traveling the corridors just yesterday. There were many reasons why others might not be interested in this challenge, from the lack of tangible reward to the high probability of death, which was why Essien was a bit surprised to see someone join him. But their presence was welcome, even somewhat familiar. This way there was even more challenge, and possibly a witness to give testament to his accomplishemnt.

@DeeCeeP0

 

[Cawar]

"Cawar." He responded shortly. Meager talk before a battle, the chatter and gamesmanship of a fight never was something Cawar cared for. It would be like naming a pet before you cook it and devour it. Pleasureful, sure, but so much more tasty without putting emotional investment into the encounter.

Cawar's face bunched, as if feeling intense pain. Sure, he knew of the gauntlet, almost every Acolyte knew of the gauntlet, at least those who had any further ambition in the world. Glory did not come from simply completing the challenge, it came from what happens after, what it allows you to obtain. Becoming a Sith Master, the richness of knowing the Force on an intimate level and being known around the galaxy as a deadly purveyor of punishment. The greatest gladiator in the Sith Order.

"I challenge you. I shall break my chains and be free!" as his saber rose from his belt to his hand, ready to activate the blade.

@Styx

 

[Essien Inemesit]

"Cawar," he echoed.

He began to fill himself with the Force, quickly feeding the adrenaline rush within as Cawar pointed his saber hilt out at Essien's back and made his challenge. Essien both approved of Cawar's vigor and feared it. So little so far to judge the Sith by, that Essien resigned to expecting the worst, as usual. Cawar would not stab Essien in the back now and deny himself the challenge. But after a proper scuffle, what then?

His lip curled. He snuck a tight burst of the Force at the dirt with his right hand, splashing a cloud a dust in his wake, and took off. Essien ran off into the desert toward their first challenge. Their swords would inevitably cross in moments, which was why he now drew his own hilt into hand. But there was more to the crucible than one's fellow combatants. The test itself would prove challenge enough on its own. Both would prove him worthy. Both would be his by day's end!

@DeeCeeP0

 

[Cawar]

Nerves and fear. That always was what Cawar felt before a fight. Sure, eventually one gets used to the gladiatorial ring, but that doesn't make it any less of a shock to the system. His opponent was right on him with speed, quickness, just enough time to compose himself. His hilt in his hands, the first time he's truly used it against anyone of consequence, anyone of a matching skill level. Heart pounding through his clothing, almost as if he were going to hyperventilate.

All of this drove him further, made him a better fighter. Some say that it's best to be a soul sucking monster, someone that doesn't care about themselves and kills for fun. Nonsense. Cawar always fought for something, for more than just fun. With his life on the line, the glory that you can drive from such a challenge, it filled him, drove him, encompassed his emotions. He raises his right hand with speed and quickness of a trained fighter as if he already knew it was there. A gladiator never had a problem absorbing the first blow, trusting his technique. And with the push of a thumb...

the blade ignites.

@Styx

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Hearing the spark of Cawar's lightsaber ignite, Essien looked back over his shoulder when he had not planned to. Though the dust cloud obscured Cawar, Essien could see the bright red blade well enough even as he continued running away, a convenience Cawar wouldn't have since Essien had yet to ignite his lightsaber.

With a good head start, Essien sprinted as best he could despite the sand stealing some of his stride. A lizard darted away from him with a spit of dust. And he looked ahead to the first stone structure. It's entrance seemed to be up high, no stairs in sight. The sand continued to pull his strides short of success. He saw a growing number of broken stones submerged in the ground. This was his first obstacle, to defeat the resistance of the desert itself. He hopped up onto one stone, wobbling a bit, then swinging his leg into leaps from stone to stone. He would travers the dusty slabs of stone to reach the structure, then leap some more if the edifice allowed it, until he was forced to climb or find some other method to reach the entrance high above. He kept his saber in hand, ready to ignite in defense of his back.

@DeeCeeP0

 

[Cawar]

He's running, damn it!

Cawar assumed that the man was going to attack. A calculated risk and now he might lose him for the moment and put himself at a tactical disadvantage. These types of mistakes are ones that can end up getting you killed when you lose your focus. His masters almost assuredly would punish him for being too passionate. Or maybe they wouldn't.

A sudden burst and Cawar sprinted forward, hoping to catch up. Sand pelted him in the face, uncomfortable and stinging. It's not even uncomfortable, it actually hurt. He continued to run through it all, without any vision in front of him. Not going all out, he had to keep his wits about him. Who knows what could be out there, and his senses were not finely tuned to be able to sense if Essien decided to attack him.

He came upon the stone slabs, he had heard of this challenge before, not to mention he could see it was the only way up. Taking his time, he hopped, one after the other, wary that Essien could pop out at any time.

@Styx

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Essien thought to turn and surprise his competition with a surprise attack, but his next one-footed landing sank into a sliding stone, triggering a trap. A rusty flat blade scraped out along the step and just missed Essien's toes, a close call were it not for his long leaps already carrying him onward even despite his slight loss of balance. The blade would retract and the stone step would rise back into place. There were many steps, not presuming to catch two targets on the same step, but it was the first of many hidden triggers that would try to catch either of these challengers today.

Leaping high, though lower than expected, Essien grappled at a ledge, his ribs colliding with it as his elbows clapped over until his palms pressed his weight forward and up. He climbed up, checking quickly back over his shoulder, then shuffled along the edge to his right back into a jog. His path was quickly becoming a climb, he eyed up and down the side of the wall the different ways to ascend. A small brown colored insect with barbed tail froze awkwardly in his path, Essien hopping over it. Sand blasted from certain cracks unexpectedly as though an unnatural wind pierced through the entire structure. And finally Essien could see the hollow entry way.

He leaped up, slipped, and stumbled onto the dust coated stone, crumbled remnants of an outer stairway left utterly unrecognizable and useless. He hurried, unbalanced into the dark hallway into a cold silence, and noted the spearheads angled down from each corner. Deeper, in the door itself, a hole at its center with sharp points angling inside, eroded etchings around it like a target. With limited time, Cawar at his back, Essien pushed on the stone slab with no success. Then, after a wave of fear washed through him, he stuck his hand into it, careful to avoid the edges. He felt for something, anything, then found a lever and forced it back, the creepy crawlies scurrying from within. The door shuttered, then depressed and slid only partially away. Essien had to awkwardly shuffle in sideways, looking behind as he entered in the hopes he was not beset upon before slinking into the darkness.

A wind whipped through the corridor with a roar, chilling the bone, and Essien bent with a leftward lean to the slanted angle of the walls and moved to hug the wall just left of the doorway to surprise Cawar with his lightsaber if Cawar hadn't already ruined it by getting too close.

@DeeCeeP0

 

[Cawar]

Exhausted, wind ripped and sand pelted, Cawar was happy to finally be inside. The dark corridor was almost as dark as night, nothing to truly see except from what he could with the light from his saber. Slowly, cautiously, he continued to step forward, reaching out for any sign of Essien that he could find. Cawar hated to be surprised, the fear of a surprise attack looming around each corner of this ancient temple.

Brushing off his robes, he deactivated his blade. He could still see well enough in the hallway that there were several traps, some that were activated by Essien. The other man had thoroughly outdone him, maybe he was even better than Cawar. Perhaps Cawar even felt a bit of envy towards Essien. Standing in the hallway, he cupped his hands to his face, leaving only a small mouth to enhance his voice.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe I can help ya!" he yelled. Cawar knew that the other acolyte would think it was a trap. Maybe Cawar even wanted to treat it like a trap, although he saw the value in having powerful friends. Taking his lightsaber, he clipped it back onto his belt, feeling the heat of it's activation still on his body.

"I'll help ya! Then afterwards, maybe we can fight for it, whatever it is we can find in here. I'm done with this cowardice cat and mouse game."

@Styx

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Hearing the other's blade dissipate disarmed Essien, though he still reeled when Cawar came into view, threateningly jerking his own red blade back in preparation to strike at Cawar's deceit. But he didn't.

"Together?" The idea crossed Essien uncomfortably, not unfamiliar to cooperation but more familiar to the pointy end of a sudden backstabbing. "The gauntlet is a challenge. I don't... It doesn't say that it must be a competition, I suppose."

Essien pressed the button with his thumb, and the red blade retracted, clipping the hilt to his belt before nodding a so far distrustful acceptance of Cawar's assistance. Yet he remained ready for deception. He stepped back.

"Do you seek knowledge? Or power? Or, have you come for an artifact? Those are much deeper in the catacombs I'm afraid. A waste of time. Power comes from within, not from dead men's toiletries." He stepped back.

He stepped back. His heel depressed into sunken stone with a scraping grind. Then, suddenly, the distant walls of the corridor behind Essien erupted in orange flame, lighting up the long length of the structure and chasing the distance towards them with a gasping shriek.

@DeeCeeP0