Event Scavenger Hunt: Butterfly Effect

[Darth Invictus]

Invictus waited outside of a small outpost only a couple of miles away from the city. Even from where he was, celebrations could be heard as well as the occasional firework. It was a time where even the hooligans could come out and be unbothered. While he partook in some activities earlier that day, he felt a small buzz but nothing that could inhibit him. The reason for his slight abstinence was that rumors had been swirling recently about a treasure trove, enough in it to make anyone who collected it set for life. That's what the stories have said at least and he was positive some of them had been exaggerated.

There was a temple not that far from his location, at least on a speeder. Apparently, there was a vault inside, the contents unknown as no one could figure out how to get inside. In fact, there was only one person who was able to recount it. A local hunter of artifacts who tried to help other adventures try to find the vault. He made a deal to get a small cut of whatever was inside as long as he didn't face any of the dangers inside. The group that had entered only returned a quarter of what they had been and the hunter could only make the men utter out one word, "Vault." The hunter had been "chosen" to be the Siths' guide after some convincing.

With the number of rumors and attention on it, it drew Invictus' attention as he saw an opportunity for whatever he found to be a sort of a nice boost for him. Whether it be riches or an artifact. Plus, it was to sate his own curiosity as he was an inquisitive individual. He decided to not tackle this alone however and called upon the services of Emryc, a Marauder he had met before briefly. While their introduction was short, it was long enough for him to see the Sith was skilled and would be a valuable asset then and in the future.

Invictus waited on top of a speeder at the entrance of the small outpost. The forest across from stared back at him as it waved back and forth slowly. The shadows seemed more pronounced and it even felt like he was being invited in. There was something there, he felt it and it all more of the reason that he waited for Emryc. He wasn't impatient.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc normally didn’t chase after rumors, but this one held some promise. He had worked with Sith Lord once prior, and he found the man more than competent. Keeping company with Sith Lords only helped his cause, though it also served to allow him to observe potential competition. If there was a day where he would have to mount Ender’s head on a pike, he would know how the man operated beforehand.

Such images played through his mind as he arrived on at the location, already spotting the Sith Lord on the scene. Emryc hopped off his speederbike, walking over to join the man. He had a datapad of information about the rumors and a vague idea of location, but he had nothing else.

“This artifact hunter,” Emryc said quietly, reading about him in the datapad, “Any reason we’re not just kriffing up the guy’s head to get the information we need?”

A short gasp suggested that the man in question was standing near them. Emryc simply blinked at the man before turning back to Ender expectantly awaiting an answer to his question.

 

[Darth Invictus]

The Sith of the hour finally arrived as Invictus was able to sense him before the sound of a speeder accompanied it. He got straight into the business of their operation and immediately questioned the use of their third guest. This wasn't the first time they met but it was the first time they met under peaceful circumstances. The Sith was certainly young and quite brash as he ignored the presence of their guide and suggested removing him from the equation altogether.

Invictus' gaze was brought to Emryc's as both of their silver eyes clashed together. He debated whether simply telling the man to be quiet and recognize his place or to actually tell him. In the end, he decided the latter as he had a notion that Emryc would take matters into his own hand if he wasn't sated. "Experience," Invictus answered, "We are dealing with the unknown. He has been to the location before, he knows how it smelt, how it looked, how it felt. He's the only survivor as well." There was the fact he was another body that could act as a shield but he had the courtesy to not warn their guide of that.

"That is something you can't retrieve." Invictus finally got off his bike as he adjusted the straps of his clothing. He gave a nod to the hunter and the man gave a sheepish nod back before leading the way. "I'm sure you don't mind walking." He added to Emryc before following behind the artifact hunter and let him walk with. According to their guide, the vault was only a few miles deep in the forest and nearly inaccessible by vehicle. Invictus preferred it that way as he wanted to get a feel for the land before they disturbed it.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at Ender with skepticism clear on his face. He didn’t want to waste time with arguing, but he hoped the man was right. He waited for the hunter to lead and he followed quietly after him. Emryc was losing confidence in this mission the further they ventured in. The man kept glancing over his shoulder, and each time he found Emryc staring back blankly.

“How did you survive?” He asked the man after a long moment. Emryc decided to pull out a pack of cigarra, popping one between his lips. He glanced over to Ender, extending the pack if he wanted one. He wasn’t in the habit of working with others, and having a group of three was especially irritating.

Emryc half expected the man to lead them into some sort of trap. There had to be a reason he was the consistent one out when many of the treasure hunters magically disappeared. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of rage at Ender for putting any faith in the crackpot, but he would let things play out for now.

 

[Darth Invictus]

Emryc could be skeptical all he wanted as he made no effort to hide it. Invictus wasn't there to make sure the man felt comfortable. Both of them didn't understand the situation and both of them weren't skilled enough in mind manipulation to extract everything thoroughly, at least as much as he wanted. The two would just have to make do unless the man became a burden upon them.

Invictus sighed as he saw the fellow Sith just blatantly stare at their guide before questioning him. He was offered a cigarra and he hesitated for a moment before collecting it and sliding it in the pocket on his breast. The man glanced between the two Sith before answering, "I'm not exactly a hunter per se. I find the temples and tombs and let others handle the danger. For a cut of the profit, of course." Emryc would find Invictus looking at him and was a clear indication he felt the rage toward him and let him speak up if he wanted to.

The trio eventually arrived at the treeline and their guide pressed on and indicated that the way was forward. The foliage grew thicker and the trees higher as they blocked out the light more thoroughly the deeper they went. A slight fog slid through the forest and covered the ground in a white mist. The two Sith would be able to start to feel a change in the air and the very energy it carried. It felt dark, it felt familiar. "When did it start?" Invictus simply asked and the guide just simply pointed to the ground, "The fog. We pressed on after it came but the forest changed. It became quiet. First time I ever heard it do that."

Invictus stood there silently but scanned the trees around them. He purposely waited there for a moment as he wanted to see if anything would come out. But they were met with the silence that the guide spoke of. The Lord finally nodded toward him, "Keep moving." There wasn't much he could do, so he complied and continued to lead. on. The fog kept becoming thicker and thicker as it collected around their feet, "It won't be much farther until you see it."

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc followed along without a word. While he may have been more obvious about his irritation, that sank away. He kept walking and smoking, blowing a plume of it as he walked. He listened to the conversation, but he had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. The hairs along the back of his neck stood on end.

He could tell Ender felt something similar as the man paused for a while. Emryc glanced around, scowling as he sensed the darkness around them. Even then, it was familiar in darkness, but not entirely what he knew. It was ancient in many ways, and almost crude.

Emryc kept walking as they moved. This time he withdrew from any chatter, focusing on his surroundings instead. He put out his cigarra and looked around at the trees around them. He took in sight of every little marking and scuff along the bark.

He had an uneasy feeling as they kept walking. Emryc kept walking till he could see a faint cloud ahead of them. He walked through it and immediately knew he walked through a cloud of cigarra smoke. A cloud he had blown already. He was the only one smoking. They were the only ones here.

“Wait,” He hissed, looking at the guide, “We are going in circles. We have walked through this path,” He recalled the familiar markings and trees. But then why had his cloud of cigarra lingered as if he had just blown it? It was almost as if the same path was recreating itself several times over, “What the kriff is going on?”

 

[Darth Invictus]

They kept straight but they didn't run into anything as the man said. If he was honest, it felt like no progress was being made whatsoever. Emryc liked his nicotine and the smell of it lingered wherever they went but after he had snuffed it out, the smell even continued in front of them. The Marauder was the first to point out vocally something was wrong and all three of them stopped in their tracks. Invictus glanced around him, everything was the same, each tree simply identical as they continued to stretch and stretch.

"Oh kriff, kriff, kriff, kriff... " The guide placed his hands on top of his head, wildly spinning around as he took in each direction. "This was the path, this was the path..." Invictus snapped his gaze toward the man, "Did this happen last time?" The man shook his head, "No but the air was heavy. Like this." He reached out with the force, the dark presence still there, as if waiting for them even deeper. Invictus jutted his head in that direction for Emryc to notice but then it started to move. It would appear to their left, behind them, to their right, and then repeat in a different order. "It's shifting." He murmured.

The guide gave him a shocked look, "What?" Invictus' head tracked the presence as it would snap in different directions. "The forest, it's moving." It was the only way he could explain it unless the entire thing was a complete illusion. The man glanced between the two Sith as he appeared completely confused, "What does that mean? That didn't happen last time." Invictus stepped past him and sighed softly, "You just didn't notice. We could be eighty miles deeper in the forest without even knowing it or we could just be walking in circles right where we entered." This wasn't natural and if it wasn't natural, that meant their possibility of escape was limited.

Invictus crouched down for a moment before he turned to look at Emryc and ignored the guide completely, "We need to follow it."