The Demon & The Witch

[Darasuum]

Death disabled​

Location: Yavin 4, Gordian Reach, P-6
Time: Nightfall
Participants: @Dark child , @Darasuum
Theme: Take Me To Church - Hozier

The planet Yavin was a gas giant and was not habitable by normal means. Yavin 4, it's jungle moon was the site of many past Sith rituals. These were lost to time for the most part. Zeff Exach remembered the tales his mentor told him of the times he delved into the ruins of the moon. He had discovered ancient treasures, secrets that were both great and terrible to behold. Today the Nagai had come to conduct his own ritual on behalf of another.

A nexus of sorts was near his present location. He had come and requested the presence of Keket Iaret. The woman had caught his eye from the first time he had seen her. While he had been busy in his own endeavors he still thought of her and now had a surprise for her. Few Sith had come to the planet with the troubling war going on. Korriban was in trouble and he hoped she would come to his call.

The woman was known for the markings upon her body and her corrupted flesh. Whispers of how she came to be circulated within the Empire but Zeff had studied enough of his mentor's findings to know what it may have taken to fix this problem. He was aware she thirsted after a cure for what ailed her. Tonight the Eastern Incubus might have just what it took to complete such a task.

Zeff stood in a dark clearing, illuminated by the bio-luminescent foliage of this part of the moon and the reflected light of the gas giant. His axion assualt ship, black and marked with dark green livery, sat like a slumbering predator. Meanwhile he was clad in dark armor that he had not worn in some time. On his back were his bone swords and on his hips his two lighstabers as well as his force forged klaive he had dubbed Mali'cite. He had refrained from carrying any more 'modern' weapons such as blasters since this was an event meant to commune with the old ways. It would be in bad taste to sully the site with such 'uncivilized' means of death.

 

[Dark child]

Keket gazed up at the night sky, a multitude of stars reflected in her harsh yellow irises along with the shape of something far larger, the silhouette of Yavin itself. Wrapped in linen, the Sith's feet felt cold, absorbing moisture with each step, her soft footfalls could be heard along the damp path, illuminated by bioluminecent flora. The soles of her feet, like the withered sorceress they belonged to, were numb. Years ago, this landscape would have brought the Sith comfort. It's decaying temples testament to what the Empire could achieve and one day return the ruins to their former splendor, now they remained a humbling reminder of things that she would never see come to pass. Keket had spent a lifetime among the dead and forgotten, no longer did she feel the need to heed their warnings. She was a silent witness, helpless to watch history repeat itself once more. Her fight no longer lay with the Sith and the delusions of grandeur that had torn them apart, the only hope that remained within her was the preservation of her own body, and mind. That, through her, the traditions of Korriban would live on.

Could absolution be found on Yavin's moon? The question remained within the Sith's mind, and in turn it's answer had also circulated there from the moment she had received the nagai's transmission. An invitation to erase her formative years. A chance to begin again. Yet doubt is ever present in the Dark Side. Chances are not given, they must be taken, and Keket feared that whatever price she had to pay to rid herself of this curse would be far too great.

Admitting defeat and accepting the help of another is arguably the greatest demonstration of weakness from a Sith. Giving up hope in finding a cure on her own did not sit right with the sorceress, who had always relied on herself for as long as she could remember. Inviting others into her life felt like dealing with the devil, and in some ways, Zeff Exach was.

Several hours ago, her face had flickered to life on the holoprojector within Zeff's ship. Her hesitance was apparent, even through the blue static of the projection, but she had agreed to meet the mysterious nagai

Now, as Keket neared the clearing, lined on both sides by jagged cliffs and illuminated by the dim light the florescent foliage that protruded from either side, her thoughts drifted away from the planet and past, to the stranger, a former Knight of S.I.N.

Eyes black as coals, and skin like ancient porcelain, Zeff awaited her. His dark armor reflected the pale blue light from the forrest above, and in many ways he reminded her of the statues found in the crypts of Korriban. Ever watchful, features chiseled and outlined in great detail.

Could the nagai be trusted?
Keket knew little about Zeff. Her knowledge of the Knights was limited, but Geir Ambros's reputation was notorious. S.I.N. was undoubtedly responsible for the Brotherhood's success, and for this Keket was grateful. Yet there were other..more distasteful rumors. That Geir had met his fate because the Empire willed it. Why else would the Knights abandon their Emperor? S.I.N. had become a whisper of the past, yet hadn't all Sith? In Keket's eyes, her brethren had betrayed her the moment they took up arms against one another. Zeff's true allegiance worried her, in times like these, none could be trusted.

"You are far more ambitious than I thought."
Said Keket, a slight smile forming on her lips as she approached within a few paces of the nagai.

"I have not known many Sith that will do another a favor without expecting something in return. Tell me, what is it that you want from me?"
Keket asked, her head cocking slightly as she tried to read the nagai's expression. Her glowing yellow eyes somewhat unsettling in the dimly lit clearing.

Though to the nagai, perhaps they were as harmless as any Sith.


​

 

[Darasuum]

[beebox2=90%]

____________

A predator waited for its prey for the oportune moment, trying time and again to get what it wanted. A patient predator was all that much more successful in the natural world. Zeff was indeed a predator but he was more than just a primitive beast that hungered for survival. Like the other Dark Knights of S.I.N. he had represented desire and the way it was illustrated in every day life and embedded in all people. Today he was on the hunt for his own goals and freedom from past limitations that had prevented him from getting what he wanted.

Watching the woman approach from the shadows he slowly rotated his head letting her know he saw her approach. In the darkness it was not difficult for his imaginative mind to think what she may have looked like before she had been wrought into the present gaunt appearance. Even with the sparse linens he was not phased by her appearance, if anything it only affirmed his desires. He stuck Mali'cite into the soft ground where it would remain upright, almost as tall as he was before placing his helm atop it and let it rest there so that he could look into the inquisitive gaze of the Sith before him.

"You never asked." Zeff was not the type to necessarily lie but he was not always forthcoming when it came to truth. A half truth there, a misleading statement there, letting others let their own subconscious predispositions guide them more than any mind-trick of the force could. He let the woman's question hang in the air though. It was difficult for one to tell exactly where a Nagai looked since their whole eye was as black as the abyss but it was obvious he was looking her up and down before returning to look her directly in the eyes.

"You...intrigue me." He said with a tone that sounded like he wasn't sure if he were using the best vocabulary. "I've felt something, calling me, deep down inside myself. The direction this compass points leads towards you and I finding myself willing to follow it."

[/beebox2]

@Dark child ​

 

[Dark child]

Keket drew ever closer to the nagai, her scent carried on a soft breeze which swept through the valley without a sound. Equally pleasant and repulsive. A perfume made of the essence of wildflowers, mixed with the foul stench of a rancid body baked under the heat of the sun.

"And what path would you follow me down?"
The Sith's eyes locked with the nagai's, dreadfully close now, Keket's bandaged fingers trailed their way up the blade's edge of the Knight's greatsword. A daunting weapon, crafted with precision, refined until it could cut through flesh and bone.

"A Sith must take what he wants. You have promised me the one thing you knew I would not refuse, but what price must be paid?"

​

 

[Darasuum]

[beebox2=90%]

____________

The jungles of Yavin IV smelled of decaying plants, damp soil and life that filled the mind with images of greenery. Keket on the other hand was something from another world entirely. Zeff had known people who expel their aura to make a presence but the woman before him did it without effort, without even a choice. Having ventured into numerous battlefields, killing dozens in city streets and venturing beyond terror he did not stop when her scent first reached his nose. He recognized it for what it was, unique as well as a representation of Keket in her current state.

"Not knowing the path one swears to walk is a far greater feat than treading where one knows there will be no failure." he replied in turn. He wanted to make her understand that even though he was not sure what was in store for either of them he was willing to take that step towards it.

"As for the cost of our desires..." he turned his head away from her towards his left. His black eyes would lead her own towards ruines that could be seen in the distance. Parted trees and flora made enough space for the stone protrusions from canopy. One may have mistaken it for one of the hills or bluffs. It sat on the horizon perhaps a kilometer away at most.

There were far grander ruins present on the planet's surface but these would serve their purpose. Without saying another word he removed his helmet where it had been mounted and returned it to his head. Grabbing his large weapon he turned and started heading towards the ruins indicating the woman should follow. you will see soon enough

[/beebox2]

@Dark child​

 

[Dark child]

As Zeff removed his helm from the hilt of the greatsword, the witch looked to the East, where the temple's peak protruded from the forest canopy, it's dark stones seemingly melding with the night sky above. An end to her torment lay ahead, though Keket was not yet sure how that end would be brought about. Had Zeff brought her here as a mere pawn to be used against the temples ancient wards? The sorceress would not hesitate to do the very same to any of the traitors who had betrayed their Emperor and joined that miserable usurper, Alexei. Perhaps Zeff saw her as weak. An easy target to lure into the depths of the ruins to be sacrificed to what dwelt within them? The sorceress's thoughts of deceit never ceased.

The warrior's helmet was secure now, it's features were could and emotionless as Zeff motioned with his gauntlet for her to follow, but his voice was not. The nagai spoke with a refined elegance that was absent in most Sith. Keket began to wonder just how old he truly was.. Brushing a bit of hair out of her face as she walked, Keket followed the nagai into the undergrowth soon catching up to him as they made their way through the brush.

"You were once a Knight of S.I.N. no? Who do you serve now?"
Keket's question was one of curiosity rather than one that questioned the Knight's loyalty, though she often found that others misconstrued her words. Interaction with others was not her strongsuit. She preferred the company of the dead perhaps because they had nothing to gain and a lifetime to tell. Being away from Korriban was difficult for the Sith. She missed the hushed whispers of the tombs and the secrets they spoke of. All Sith were born of hatred. Their anger could linger and taint a planet for centuries. To Keket, Korriban's aura had been benevolent, like the embrace of an irritated parent.

Keket's finger's wrapped around a moss coated twig, and she tugged, breaking it off of the low hanging limb above both of their heads, causing some of it's neon green sap to drip unto the woven strips of gauze that covered her torso as they passed beneath it. The vegetation was getting thicker. Beneath their feet, patches of the ancient stone walkway could still be seen, decades from now, even these would be covered by the earth, reclaimed by the surrounding jungle.


​

 

[Darasuum]

[beebox2=90%]

____________

It would almost be disappointing if the woman came along without hesitation. Zeff would be classified as clinically paranoid among other things if he allowed a doctor to ever get near him. A gullible individual was not something he appreciated and was glad that Keket had her suspicions. Contacted to come to a moon in the middle of local night with a stranger that had a shadowed past. The Nagai could not blame her for her feelings.

The boots feet left shallow imprints in the soft ground. Decaying wood chips and wilted ferns were on the end of their life but sprung forth new opportunities for fungi and other flora. It was an interesting sight, the biolumenscent foliage but did not slow the man on his path. His armor had bladed paulderons and other sharp edges meant to cause damage to others in a grapple. Here the protective plate dragged across leaves and made the traversing of the jungle marginally easier for the woman that followed. He could swing one of his many blades and carve a path but it was not that arduous of a journey.

"I was one of the first Dark Knights of Sin. We weren't always a sanctioned group. We in fact came before the Sith Intelligence Network." He spoke with a bittersweet tone as he reminisced of the days long past. "I still consider myself a Dark Knight of Sin even with Geir Ambros's passing. But who do I serve now? He let Keket's repeated questionhang in the air as he turned so the left side of his helmet looked over his shoulder at her. She tugged on a twig, snapping it and splashing some of its liquid on her pale frame. "That question infers that I have changed allegiances. a second pause lingered in his halted step before resuming. "I serve myself as does everyone. Anyone who says otherwise is either ignorant or a liar." It was not meant to come out as an insult to those that fell into those categories but rather a statement of fact.

They walked for awhile longer, the darkness of the ruins getting larger as they approached. A pillar here, smoothed stones there, these were signs of the once great civilization that inhabited the jungle moon. It was fitting they were under the darkness of night, two dark-siders in such a historical location. "What of you? What is it you desire?" His feet now tapped lightly on the stone path they were emerging onto. what is your greatest sin he thought to himself.

[/beebox2]

@Dark child​

 

[Dark child]

"Desire?"
The Sith's dry lips cracked a smile, one that faded away almost as quickly as it had formed.

"Desires are for the strong. The ones who conquer and persevere, no matter the cost. What is left for us to conquer Zeff? What can we preserve? I sought to conquer death and preserve the Sith."

The two souls walked side by side on the fading pathway, one clad in armor and the other in gauze.

"Perhaps we are both servants of the past. My desires are dead. Now I have only the need to forget them and move on."
The sorceress's eyes averted themselves away from the foliage and ruins towards the helm of the knight, knowing that she would find no emotion in the piece of metal there. The nagai seemed to prefer this, choosing to wear the expressionless face plate despite being near the very person he himself had invited. The roots of paranoia ran deep within Keket...

What existed within the temple walls that the knight feared enough to obscure every bit of exposed flesh? What secrets did such a man hold that he felt exposed without being encased in armor?

The temple's silhouette grew ever larger as they made their way through the trees. Insects chirping in the chilled night air...




​

 

[Darasuum]

[beebox2=90%]

____________

The woman's words did not fall on deaf ears. While he did not argue her answer he just murmured a hum of interest. Zeff was not the type to directly tell someone the state of things but rather lead them to the same conclusion he had acquired. He felt her questions towards him were rhetorical so for several paces he let the sound of their feet on mossy stone be the only noise present. The two came upon a large door, big enough for a land speeder to travel through and still have space on either side. Carved across its entire surface were patterns and runes with ancient sith text on them. Some was worn away, patches of vines clinging to it.

"Only gods and the dead have no desires..." he said to himself as he ran a gauntleted hand across the surface of the door. It was another bit of advice his mentor had taught him before he had even been offered the position within the Sith. Geir did not take apprentices and was master of none, he had made a point of it. He was not here tonight to lament days gone by and so withdrew his hand from the stone surface.

Turning once again to face the woman he removed his helmet, tucking it under his left arm. "Below us deep within the catacombs of this place there are secret chambers that hold truths unrealized for ages. I believe I can harness that potential and in turn provide what we desire. I can heal your body, make it better than it was before and you suffer no ill affects." His face was almost as pale as the color of his helm but his tone indicated the sincerity behind his words. The nagai searched her features for any indication of response.

[/beebox2]

@Dark child​