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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Tales of Darkness, The Trial of Darth Leda.

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by dragonsith13, Mar 13, 2018.

  1. dragonsith13

    dragonsith13 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2005
    Red sands of Time ~ Somewhere ~ Someplace

    Part I

    The wind was howling at the entrance of a crumbling structure half-covered in the red sands of a place one might recognize but could not place. How anyone arrived at such a place was a mystery, one was simply just. There.

    Leda would hear the subtle roar of the wind howling across dunes and the crumbling stone structures. A blackness before her, that she was bid to enter.

    She stood at the gaping mouth of a void, the howling winds wiping at her back and splaying her white-blonde hair about her head like a bizarre halo. The young woman laughed uncomfortably as she wrapped her arms around her chest, staring into the dense blackness before her.

    She was Leda: Shadow Knight of the Knights of Darkness, apprentice to Ebon Knight and Headmaster Draconis, warrior of the dark side and now, scared out of her fragging mind.

    She was to go forth for another trial, her final trial, and she wouldn’t kid herself about the threats that surely awaited her in the depths of these ruins… wherever the hell they were. Her green-yellow eyes swept over the decrepit structure, its rough cracks and edges sand-blasted smooth, some parts sunk into the red sands themselves. It would’ve been a beautiful sight to her if she wasn’t about to be thrown into a life or death situation.

    She supposed this was par for the course, move on & progress or be left behind to die. And she was never one to back down from a challenge, no matter how ridiculous, terrifying, or impossible it may seem.

    So, she steeled herself. Her arms dropped down to her sides, one hand clenched into a fist and the other resting over her saber hilt. Her body relaxed just enough to move, her legs pushing her forward down a small slope, the blackness consuming her as she cautiously waited to see what horrors her master had conjured for her to face.


    ~Into darkness~
    The stone spiral staircase she descended seem to go on forever, all the while the outlines of ancient structures within this cavernous cave which had opened to a large deep structure, grew fainter and fainter as the sunlight high from above shown less and less. As she reached the bottom the lighting was minimal shadows seemed to blend with structure making it hard to tell where they began and ended.


    The howl of the wind was less audible, but occasional droned above.

    The floor under her feet had a layer of red sand, potentially undisturbed for years, decades, or more. This place was pulsating with energy, but silent as a tomb. Crumbling pillars, walls, deep roots breaking through stone, and a stale musky smell of a place untouched by the elements above.

    It was quiet, too quiet. What was the purpose of all this. She was proficient, skilled, knowledgeable…. Summoned to a dead abandon place for what purpose? As expected par for the course… but to what end?

    There was a feeling of something lurking… not known to her. Not her master, a presence she had not felt before.

    The faint glow of large yellow eyes peered back at her from within the shadows. The eyes are said to be the window to the soul, and these eyes inquired as to why she was here!

    Leda’s nerves were nearly shot as she finally reached the bottom, or what she assumed to be the bottom. She couldn’t help the slight tremors that ran over her body, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end with the sensation of something unfamiliar… like she was being watched from close by.

    The silence didn’t help. It pressed in on her from all sides and coupled with the blackest darkness – save for only a few faint shadows – it was not a pleasant atmosphere, rattling her struggling concentration as it was.

    Having paused in the undisturbed red sand below her feet, she took a deep breath and placed a hand over her heart. It was racing, and she took a moment to try and slow it down, to focus. As she did, she slowly reached out in front of her with the Force, apprehensive of what she might find but also intensely curious. Something in her gut told her this place held many secrets from an era long gone, perhaps some that were never meant to be found.

    Then her stomach turned over suddenly, her senses having touched a presence that was indeed unknown to her. Shocked as she was, she snapped the Force back towards herself, cocooning the dark side about her for protection. A reflex to be sure, but taking in the twin beams of bright, yellow eyes that now stared back at her through the dark, Leda strengthened the invisible barrier and clutched her saber hilt tighter.

    What the kriffing devil in hell…

    It hadn’t spoken to her with words or even coherent thoughts, really. But she instantly knew what it had wanted from her; a reason for her trespass. More than a bit surprised that she could find her voice at all in the predicament she found herself in, the warrior responded with an honest answer.

    “I have come to be tested.”

    There was shift in the eyes, that gazed upon her from the shadows, as the once focused and peering gaze had a momentary lapse due in part from the statement from the new guest.

    “Tt… T..Tests? Tests?!?!? No. No. no… no!”

    The eyes were gone, but reappeared a moment later as they glowed in the dark and moving back and forth, disappearing for seconds at a time then back glaring at her, along with glimpses of what one would recognized as humanoid parts…an arm, legs, torso, even a flash of a head… but never all at once, bits and pieces as the whole of the being seemed to pace among the shadows, just beyond full view of Leda. The shadowy figure almost rattled in its manners, as it indiscriminately mumbled to itself as it paced. “They will. No. no. No more tests! Find her… Not pleased with this. No. Not pleased.”

    Suddenly the creature stopped, the eyes once again glaring back at her, as if the being or creature had had a realization and pause to its pacing thoughts.

    “Go. You have to go. They will see you. Now. You have to go. Find you.” The voice got considerably more worried and alarmed about the woman being here.

    “If they find you. Nasty. Horrible things, they will do to you.”

    From out of the shadows the creature moved further into Leda’s view its skin was pale with almost skeletal appearance as bones stretched and shown against the taught pale skin. Claws as it was hunched forward skulking slightly as it looked at her, a face of puzzlement as to why she had not started running per his warning already.

    Leda’s eyes followed the mysterious creature as it paced, small pieces of its frame coming into view within the shadows. Its nonsensical babbling eased her fear some, sensing the panic rolling off the being in turn. This was not the threat she was to face. Though, the constant mention of a “they” caused a ripple of cold to shoot down her spine.

    “Could you, I mean… um, of who do you speak?”


    Right as her last word trailed off into a faint echo, it stepped closer to her so that she could see its appearance fully. She couldn’t help the curl of her lip as her gaze swept over the rather disgusting thing before her. It looked like it hadn’t seen the light of day in… well, years.

    Gross.

    This was a waste of time. She squared her shoulders and looked down the end of her nose at her living obstacle.

    “If you’re not the test, you are still a test,” she reasoned allowed, removing her eyes from the pitiful-looking thing. “If you’re meant to stall me, it won’t work. So, move along… um… Mr. Thing,” she stammered and stepped around it, igniting her lightsaber to help see her way forward.

    “Tests again. Tests! She speaks of tests… all things IS tests.” The creature stepped back pondering why she was here, speaking to itself nonsensically again, carrying on a conversation with itself. Breaking into a more song-like rhyme.

    “Those who come to the darkest of nights, to find what pits them against the light.
    Seeking to find what they don't have, to only be trapped eternally by the hand.”


    Mrrthing, followed her movements stammering back a bit after she had ignited her lightsaber, the glow of the blade illuminating the surrounding cavern slightly, but not nearly making a dent in the cavernous space overall. He was mesmerized by the pale yellow glow, as he got lost for a moment in its beauty. Hs hand sliding to his hip as if he was reaching for a similar instrument, though nothing was present as his fingers grasped nothing and he snapped back to reality.

    “No. NO, not that WAY!”

    Mrrthing scrambled forward to reach out and stop the woman. Catching himself and razing his finger wagging it in a no gesture. Catching himself and quieting his own voice that he realized was raised too much. He was already concerned that Lead’s action of her saber and their conversation was attracting too much attention. This place was not used to such even subtle and soft noises.

    “Come. Come this way is out.” His yellow eyes and a wide grin revealing a mouth of broken and rotting teeth.

    “Come.”

    Mrrthing, waved his arm invitingly for her to follow.

    “Come, quiet we must be!”

    Mrrthing was trying to hide his nervousness, and rightly so as in a darker corner of the cavernous place something was stirring as it was aware of their presence and stumbling towards Leda and him.

    Moving slowly, but steadily towards them. Even deeper something else stirred.

    “Shhh! Quit your prattling,” Leda shot out at the creature in a whisper. It wasn’t making sense and, quite frankly, was already working on her last nerve. A nerve she very much needed.

    It had nearly touched her with a grotesque hand to dissuade her from progressing and she barely halted an instinctual swing out with her saber, which would have surely decapitated him… she? No, it.

    Ugh!

    As it nudged her towards an exit, she had had enough. Her focus was nonexistent and the more her unwanted companion warned of dangers and dark corners and unknown threats – oh. fragging. my! – the more she wanted to flee. But she couldn’t! It wasn’t an option! Her moment was here, now, and nothing would stop her from reaching the heights she so richly deserved.

    Rounding on the thing, she pointed her yellow blade at his face, the searing heat mere inches from its skeletal face.

    “You will either help me or you will be put down, the choice is yours,” she commanded in semi-hushed tones. “I don’t have time for insanity.”

    Startled and a bit unnerved Mrrthing, tried his best to keep quiet and maintain a silent profile, here in the depths of this abandoned place. “Yes hush, quiet I will be.”

    Mrrthing scrambled up to the front of Leda a bit attempting to lead her.

    “Quiet we must me”. His tone went silent, turning away from the Sith, speaking to himself. A sinister grin and demeanor upon his face. Insanity… what did blondie know about insanity…

    “No-prattling-for-thee…” Mrrthing turned back mouthing the words silently towards her. He was trying to remain composed despite the fact that he wanted to get this intruder out of this place as quickly as possible. She was attracting unwanted attention, the type of attention that was….

    It was at that moment, something emerged from the shadows close to them both, almost on top of Leda. A decayed corpse like body lunged forth upon Leda with arms lurched forward. One of its arms striking with a blunt force to her near shoulder. Its hideous and decayed appearance only visible through the faint glow of her saber and the light from above in certain spots. Mouth agape as a mouth full of teeth tried to find its way forward and latch onto her as it screamed with purposeful intent.

    “I fragging hate the dark,” she muttered, lowering her blade slightly and angling its glow back away from her creepy friend. Her eyes darted about as they followed the poor reach of her weapon’s light, still sensing something… someone else hanging about. A lingering presence that was more than some rodent or whatever crawled about in the shadows.

    She shuddered at the thought, glaring down at her guide that still mumbled nonsense, opening her mouth to protest further when it hit her. Well, something hit her…

    Leda was socked right in the shoulder by a hard, cold, and disgusting… dead person? Having no time to truly gauge what was happening, she reacted instinctively and swung out back-handed with her lightsaber. The threat had appeared on her right, so her blade was quick to meet its mark, however off balance she was due to the surprise attack. Easily shearing off an arm like a knife through soft butter, she stumbled further down the pathway only for it to follow, seemingly unfazed by the loss of an entire limb.

    She took a brief moment then to take in what had jumped from near nowhere to come for her. Hollow, empty eyes sat upon a face that really wasn’t much of one any longer, ropes of decaying flesh dripping down to expose bone and sinew. The warrior would’ve retched had she not been scared out of her senses, the simple unnaturalness of it all! It reached for her with its remaining skeletal hand, screeching at an abnormal pitch as if it was in a constant state of dying; never reaching death itself but just suspended in the limbo between it and life.

    But… who cared? It was in her way and need to go.

    Leda growled and suddenly grew a spine, leaping forward into action. With a much more well-placed vertical strike, she severed its other arm and circled her saber around to come up from below once more. This time the blade entered the corpse’s skull under the chin, shooting yellow beams of light out through its eye sockets and jaw as it burst through the back end of the cranium. With an odd gurgling noise emanating from its throat, it ceased thrashing and gnashing immediately, slumping to the ground in a heap as she pulled her weapon free.

    “Are there more of these?” she asked the big-eyed creature straight away, already moving into a defensive stance and preparing for the next.

    The flash of a lightsaber tore through the darkness the as Mrrthing had slinked back, startled by the lurking creature stalking them that struck at his guest… seemingly scared and cowering or aware of it and letting it take its chance upon Leda? With wide eyes, he watched in amazement as the flash of Leda’s yellow blade coursed through the air in swift strokes as she easily out maneuvered the threat of the walking corpse. His eyes wide almost jeering at the fight in front of him, but a quick moment of excitement turned to fretful dread as he watched the rotting corpse as it collapsed from Lead’s head impalement. The clang of a rusted piece of armor impacted the rugged ground with a dull thud. Slumped over, seeming to have come to rest. This place was dark, and the blade of Leda offered a very small glint of the surrounding atmosphere. In fact, a small crevasse was at their feet, normally something inconsequential easily bypassed and overlooked as not a danger at all.

    The previously motionless body of the recently dispatched walking dead, moved slightly… not of its own volition but drawing up the natural laws of gravity as a tipping point was met and passed. The heavy breast plate that was on the corpse pulled at the motionless body as unbeknownst to Lead and Mrrthing it caused the body to slide ever so slightly. Unnoticed. Until suddenly it succumbs and slides with a greater force and speed, rolling into the fissure barely bigger than its width. Like a chain being drawn slowly and then suddenly faster over the bow of a ship down into a depth. Thus, into a cavernous depth the corpse fell, clamoring against rock, the metal armor, decayed and rusted as it was rang with a vibration of newly forged steel as the echo of pangs and deflections seemed to echo as a gong sounding across a landscape.

    Mrrthing looked upon the fissure the gleaming light up the lightsaber in Leda’s hand lighting it just barely enough to see it now. As he continued to stare…. looking at what had transpired and the fissure which the corpse had slowly slinked and fallen into with a sudden and final lurch. His expression of horrid dread did not waver. With a gulp, he turned and looked at Leda not saying a word.

    The cavern went deep and deeper still, seemingly endless as a small fissure opened up to a larger one, joining others, and endless network of underground caverns and deep depths of sheer darkness.


    With a loud pang that seemed to impact with the force of a bomb, the clambering and endless falling of the corpse stopped as if finally hitting the bottom with an eerier and tense silence ensuing.


    Mrrthing leaned forward on his hands in his crouched position, trying not to move as if that had barring on changing on the symphony of clanging sounds that had just finished.

    There was a growing sound from deep down, within the cavernous space the Leda now stood. A clawing and scratching that faint at first began to grow louder as shrieks, screams, groans, and howls bellowed up from underneath.

    Mrrthing stumbled back, clearly frazzled as an unnerving feeling grew. He reached out not observing previous warnings to not touch Leda and grabbed her forearm tugging at her. Her previous question of if there were “more of these?” had been completely ignored by him as the answer was presenting itself. In a panic Mrrthing was pulling her, not knowing why he did not just abandon her here and there and run and hide.

    A horde of beings was clamoring up the sides of caverns and outcroppings, unnaturally scaling the deep walls having been awoken and alerted to something. Their screams and groans growing louder and louder…. Seeking to fester it out and devour it the source.

    Mrrthing was pulling at Leda urging her forward away from the coming horde… “Come on! Come on!” Mrrthing’s voice was breaking and panicking as he tried to get her to move.

    Her companion did not respond, but Leda was too focused on her newly-dispatched attacker to hear it if it had.

    Her eyes raked over the corpse at her feet, her heavy breathing having nothing to do with the brief combat she had been locked in. What kind of dark sorcery was etched into these ancient ruins? Her mind tried to rationalize why her master had sent her here of all places as this was already beginning to seem far beyond a simple trial or test. Though the “why” didn’t matter now that she was here, in the thick of it.

    A tendril of doubt entered her mind unbidden and she snarled in response.

    If he wanted her to fail, he would be sorely disappointed.

    Kicking the pile of bones with a booted foot, she knew the corpse was truly finished but at her touch it suddenly shifted in an awkward way, causing her to jump back a step. Watching with saber held out and at the ready, it then shot off and away from her as if pulled by unseen hands dragging it across the floor. It was then that she noticed an open gash in the sandy ground not too far from where she stood, the body disappeared downward into the hole. Its pieces ricocheted with echoing thuds and clangs as it bounced off the rock during its descent into the unknown.

    It was too quiet down here and this caused any sound to be magnified tenfold. Leda grimaced with each disruption of the silence the body sent up through the abyss. She didn’t want to disturb the undead any more than she already had. However, her gut told her it was too late and just then, as she thought the corpse would be deep enough to no longer be heard, it was replaced with something far more troubling.

    Her worry had been proven to be valid.

    Not only hearing a strange sound emanating from below, she could feel a swelling surge of a presence - multiple presences? – pushing upwards in a rush. There was a sense of, no… there was a need for death. And she could put together who it was that they/it wanted to devour.

    Leda whispered a string of curses under her breath, spinning about in place.

    “What is that?” she commanded urgently to her guide, only to be drowned out by the escalating noise. It was obvious what was coming for her though her rational brain didn’t want to acknowledge the absurdity of it. The creature at her side seemed just as unnerved as she, pawing at her arm and spurring her forward with its urgent words. The ground began dropping out beneath them both and she knew they could wait no longer.

    “Frag it, GO!”

    She leapt from solid spot to the next, each seeming to fall away the moment her foot left. There was no time to think on that and there could be no time wasted wondering if Mr. Thing was still at her side or had dropped off into the blackness below.

    All she could do was keep moving further into the dark.

    The horde was pressing from below with dozens of these seemingly mindless beings appearing through cracks in the cavern floor. Clambering up to their feet and lurching forward in pursuit of Leda and Mrrthing as they went down a passage after passage, evading the ghastly undead corpses. Leda dispatching isolated ones as they came in contact with them, with quick smooth slices as she kept pace with Mrrthing scrambling to get away from the ever-growing closer main wave of the horde.

    “This way, faster!” Mrrthing shouted sounding off in a frightened but sure of himself manner, clearly familiar with every turn and nook of this place.

    The sound of an approaching mass of undead grew louder as they seemed to unrelentingly pursue them with a ravenous hunger that need to be satiated. The only light was from Leda’s saber, offering a slight glimpse of the caverns she was moving through. The sounds of lurching undead was close, almost on top of them as they seemed to flow out of nowhere, slipping and snaking out of every crack and crease in the cavern. An undead slammed through a crack, ripping one of its of arms off as it struggled through the crack not paying attention to dismembering itself, only focused on Leda’s flesh. Its growls and snaps of its jaw trying to latch onto her. The head of the undead was smashed by a rock as it slammed back against the wall splattering tissue and skull bit fragments everywhere. Mrrthing slinked back, dropping the now bloody rock in his hand, the small victory was short lived as the sounds of more undead where closer than ever. From the darkness emerged a wave of the undead, scrambling and flailing towards them both. There was no running….

    Leda ducked as the first one passed over her, overshooting and stumbling past her. Her saber came up in a swift vertical strike bisecting the next. Coming down with a diagonal slash through the skull of another, as she spun avoiding another undead with its head lurched forward trying to bite into her. Coming about and trusting forward through the skull of undead in front of her, yanking the saber out and rotating her arms to blindly strike behind her with a follow up strike which impaled one the undead that had previously overshot her and was approaching her from behind. The strike thrusting through one its eye sockets instantly felling it. Without looking she brought the saber back to a front guard, as she leveled a force push forward knocking several of the undead back, creating a traffic jam which began to bind the dozens of undead behind them up in the passage. Momentarily halting their momentum. Leda felt a pull at her ankle as a skeletal wrist wrapped around her yanking at her, a swift swipe of her blade and the arm was severed at the forearm, as she brought the humming blade around and drove it downward through the skull of the undead crawling before her, letting loose a scream of rage.

    Just beyond her vision, the undead mass was beginning to overcome the mass bodies in its wake and regain its momentum.

    Mrrthing lurched forward on all four, scrambling as a ripple of energy from him, something only described as a force push, was sent down the passage knocking the wave of undead back further. Giving them another moment to make haste evade them. It was subtle almost weak, but enough to dislodge a larger rock which rolled forward, partially blocking the passage enough as several of the undead were smashed under it, while others tried to clamber around it. As dozens of the stacked up behind the bolder, only a few would be able to slowly squeeze by.

    “Let’s go. NOW!” Mrrthing yelled, urging Leda to follow. Mrrthing scrambled down the passage till they came to a more open area, the sounds of the horde dissipating for a moment. There was a faint light from below as Leda’s lightsaber was not the only source of illumination. There was a visible heat emanating nearby. The once dark passage ways now gave to a larger expanse, clearly defined features carved pillars, crafted features not natural but forged deep within this expanse. The were standing on a precipice and edge as the passageway they had emerged from had brought them to this cliff edge, overlooking a lava flow hundreds of feet below. The lava flow illuminating this dark region casting eerie shadows as the smoldering heat billowed up. Mrrthing scrambled about, pacing muttering to himself.

    “Go away, not safe this day!
    Fire will flow, where darkness shows.
    Gem will shine, where savoir reigns.
    Take what is owed, by flight of pain.
    Delve into the deep, to rise not weak.
    Power will spur, one’s temptations fate.
    Don’t believe what she shall say.
    Or lost eternally though shall stay.”


    Mrrthing was pacing sounding to himself in a chiding vice almost lecturing himself… reciting the words as if bound by them. His pacing stopped as he stood still staring out across the expanse…

    “She will take it for herself!”

    Mrrthing turned ever so slightly back to Leda a sinister scowl. Half scared and half determined.

    “No! “She” can save us…” The faint roar of flowing lava below was the only contrast to the dark silence and distant moans of the hoard stuck in the passage. The mass of undead was slowly shoving the boulder to the side as undead after undead began to fester through, already dozens of them were stumbling down the passage towards them. There was little time as they pondered their next move standing on the cliffs edge. ‘Kill her!’ As several nearby outcroppings and pillars were within jumping distance. The features of a massive staircase were in view upon part of the massive open cavern. A staircase not of normal size, more liken to that of a giant, as other temple like features could be scene in the distance.

    A flowing lava river stories below lay between them and the potential safe haven, while the horde of undead continued to break free and press forward towards them.

    Leda’s jaw dropped as she slammed to a halt on the precipice, the vast expanse of the cavern stretching out in front, below and above. She was panting; sweat, grime and gore dripping from her skin and clothing alike but that did not distract her from the sheer amount of space she and her companion had stumbled upon. It was dim and it was hot, heat rising in waves as she leaned forward just enough to see the sheer drop mere inches away from where she stood. There at the bottom, a snaking river of red.

    Lava.

    “So down isn’t an option,” she reasoned aloud with more than a hint of sarcasm, spinning around to face the way they had come. She could still hear them tearing and screeching, those dead things, clamoring to rip the flesh right from her bones. Kriffing sick bastards, she added, this time to herself.

    She eyed her guide then, watching it mumble to itself, beginning to understand this was a normal habit. There was a sudden, intense urge to land one swift kick to its back, sending the obnoxious thing over the edge and out of her hands… but she kept it at bay. Clenching her fists and gnashing her teeth, Leda returned her gaze forward to resist temptation.

    The creature was leading her somewhere and although she hated to admit it, she needed the help. Also, the thought occurred to her that perhaps it was a tool of Draconis’. Her master could have planted it here to keep tabs on her, test her in other ways that the bigger picture was not. A general mind-****, if you will, which seemed like a game he would play.

    No time for idle considerations, however. She could sense several of those reanimated corpses closing in from behind. They must have found a way around the makeshift barrier they had created and if they came through the passage en masse, they would all be thrown to their deaths.

    Not happening.

    Her focus swept over all that was laid out before her; a spattering of crumbling pillars that painted an unreliable path to a much larger set of stairs, all leading to a cluster of ruins so large that her brain couldn’t fathom the true scope of them from her distant position. The sum of these parts made the only direction for them to go.

    The way was clear.

    “We need to cross,” she realized. Peering down next to her, she shouted at the creature. “Keep up!”

    Without pause Leda utilized the Force to assist a small jump to the closest pillar. It was possible she could have made it without her powers, but she wouldn’t chance it. Once she landed lightly atop the small foot space, she looked back over her shoulder to make sure her guide could make it as well. If it needed an assist, it kriffing better well ask and ask now.

    The howls and low grumbles of the horde could be heard over their shoulders, Mrrthing had made his way across to the first pillar jutting up stories above the flow of the lava ravine. How he ad made it across and began to keep pace would not fully be known to Leda, he was just there. Though he did struggle to pull himself to his feet evident from a rough landing of sorts having transpired. Across the fiery gap, the horde could be seen. A few of the undead beings failing to halt their momentum and cascading down into the lava flow below while a few more were involuntarily pushed over the ledge due to the swelling numbers of the undead horde flowing out onto the medium ledge and opening Leda and Mrrthing had leapt from.

    The cavernous underground was ever tumultuous. Shaking with mild eruptions from the volcanic flow below. Ash and streams of liquid lava shooting into the air at unspecified times. Though the rock in this place was ancient, hard, and solid. It was not immune to shifting and impacts as evident from one of the pillars shedding a large portion of itself in the near distance. The displaced and falling rock falling down into the lava flow below. It was only a few more leaps and they had made it to the other side traversing three pillars in succession finally poised to reach the large steps on the other side of the expansive cavern they had seen.

    They had reached the steps with one final leap, both of them arriving. Mrrthing slightly behind in his traverse of the gap, but nonetheless arriving. Suddenly a shudder shook the steps as, a large piece of where they had landed broke underfoot. Dislodging and falling, the pair on top of it as it began to slide down across the large step below it, then another as the sheet of rock was like a sled sliding down a hill. Mrrthing braced.

    Once her guide was next to her without explanation, Leda didn’t question but simply kept moving. Jump after jump she crossed the nonsensical maze of pillars, death staring her plainly in the face every time her eyes looked down and saw red.

    She could hear the growing sounds and screams of the dead finally breaking through to their side, still as hungry as ever for her demise. In those terrifying moments she was glad for the distraction of, well… not falling to her death. Her concentration must remain solely on each leap and every landing, precision being an unquestionable requirement.

    Finally reaching the other side of the gap on shaky legs, Leda cursed when she hit the unstable ground hard, collapsing to her knees as the creature joined her but a moment later. She sprang back to a standing position with a grunt, swinging around to face the way they had come.

    They were like a hive of ants, swarming every which way they could find purchase; a swell of bodies that seemed to overtake her field of vision in the few seconds she bothered to look. Frag. THIS, she thought somewhat incoherently before she returned to the way they had been forced to flee. A monstrously large set of decrepit steps climbed up before them and the warrior wasted no time in attempting to ascend.

    But where she intended to push forward instead pulled her back.

    With a shriek, Leda and her guide began to slide away from what she had assumed to be safety. A foolish notion now. The world slipped through her fingers and the ground beneath their feet shifted with increasing speed towards the lava at the bottom of the ravine. All she could do was focus on what her next move was, as long as she hadn’t been disintegrated before should make it.

    There.

    Flying up at her with a jarring finality, a decent-sized plateau of rock jutted up directly below. Briefly relieved that she would be able to land on solid ground, their make-shift sled broke into shards as soon as they made impact, a moment she wasn’t prepared for. Colliding with brute force, Leda smacked the plateau hard and skidded to its edge, flung over the side by her own momentum. With a frantic hand, she clawed into the dirt and came to a sudden halt, dangling over the edge by a single grip.

    With a cry of pain, she clambered back up onto semi-solid ground, the earth quaking slightly beneath her.

    Kriff you, Draconis!” she shouted without warning, the words bursting from her mouth without a thought. On all fours, she peered about wildly at their newest position, certain her master wished her to fail and all the hatred she could summon in the moment bleed through into her words.

    The coming impact had been seen coming, as they traveled down towards the large ledge at the foot of the massive stairs. Despite such there was no getting around the brutality of it, even as they both braced and tried their best to lessen the impending impact, they would feel it… and they certainly did. Leda was tossed, tumbling to the edge sliding off and catching herself barely. The heat of the lava below was searing the soles of her boots. Even as she pulled herself to safety her clothes were smoldering still. Crawling to trying and gain a better vantage of the place they now found themselves in.

    The cavern seemed to open even more, as what before was towering staircase and base now gave way to a grander site. The faint echoes of light from the lava river which seemed to snake back, twisting through additional engineered structures. What could only be described as an underground city. Hidden away from the dessert realm above. A temple like structure in the short distance towering above, smaller buildings much of them crumbling, decayed from time. The breadth of it was staggering, as the towering cavern opened up further as the city seemed to spread beyond Leda’s vision. All this hidden just beyond a bend…

    Mrrthing had impacted with an equal force, though his path had not brought him to the ledge of the plateau. Instead he had impacted and rolled over a fallen pillar, slowly coming to a sliding stop. The impact not being any less brutal that Leda’s, as he found his senses. He had been avoiding this place, this was a place that was not to be traveled. Their path should have taken them above it, as the stairs led away from this place… led up to the surface. The sooner he got her out of here, he could evade the horde and return to… Mrrthing stopped dead in his thoughts as he was peering over the pillar fearfully looking across at the underground city. The sound of Leda’s words echoing in his ears. Clear as a bell he had heard it, over the rumbling lava, the faint sound of the horde high above, stagnated due to the cliff, the occasional undead body was seen and heard falling. Impacting into the lava, and bursting into flame. It was all serene as he twisted his head a bit back to see Leda crawling trying to gain her bearings.

    “What did you say?”

    Mrrthing scrambled over the pillar and made his way quickly to Leda, stopping before her. Clearly his mind fixated and concerned from what he had heard her shout.

    Before she could respond to the first question, Mrrthing blurted out again. Even as Leda was still finally finding her bearings, her gaze coming upon the underground city.

    “Where did you hear that name?” Impatiently Mrrthing could not contain himself as he pressed Leda.

    “Who told you that name!!!” Mrrthing’s response was raspy, angered, and impatient.

    Mrrthing was pacing, trying to contain himself. Coming around in a circling pace around Leda, waiting for her to answer.

    Lead glared as the creature spat at her, leaning back on her knees. Her hand twitching, wanting nothing more than to jam her saber down its throat.

    “Draconis? He’s the one who that sent me here. To you. To THIS!” She replied, waving her hands about at the chaotic scene that surrounded them. “He is my master,” she continued through clenched teeth, leaning in towards her guide. “Why should it matter at all to you!”

    Mrrthing listened to her explanation as he paced, trying to maintain his composure. His eyes growing wide, as he stopped in his tracks at her summary of how she arrived and was directed here. His face was confused, puzzled as his brow furred and he mouthed words to himself that did not come out. Ultimately concerned as his eyes grew wide, his voice staggering as he forced the words out.

    “I… I did not send you here.”

    Mrrthing squeezed the rock in his hand tighter, that he had wretched from the fallen pillar. Clenching his teeth, angered. Then suddenly it dissipated as his body relaxed, his tone from before changed to a much more accommodating, and pleasant one.

    His arm and hand came up in a flash as Leda on the cusp of returning to her feet, was struck in the back of the head.

    Mrrthing let the rock fall out of his hand as it impacted with a dull thud against the rock plateau they stood on. As Leda lay prone in front of him, unconscious.

    The backdrop of crumbling buildings was a fitting scene as the trail of blood snaked through the buildings. Mrrthing held Leda by her legs, pulling her through the winding ruins. The horde a creation of darker purposes was heard, in the distance. This underground world was too porous and too vast to contain such a thing. Something created and uncontainable at this point. They were drawing closer, as Mrrthing was growing more nervous even as the main temple was in view near.

    “Come on!” Mrrthing muttered, speaking to the unconscious Leda as if her unconscious body had some ability to speed up their progress as he dragged her limp body across the cavern floor towards the temple.

    They were close now… Mrrthing’s progress was steady as he had only stopped a few times to regain his grip and catch his breath. Which he did so now briefly. However, this time the faint sound of the horde could not be heard. He leaned over Leda’s body as he listened intently, the silence of the cavern was eerie. A garbling scream broke the silence as out of nowhere from around on of the buildings corners, an undead appeared staggering forward its decayed body lurching with mouth open. Mrrthing was jumped scrambling, as he kicked forward knocking the undead back as it stumbled into the side if the building it had just emerged from. Mrrthing grabbing a short loose timber, as he swung it impacting the skull of the undead which was trying to regain its directions. Its head caving in and splattering everywhere from the impact. Mrrthing stood over it for a moment relieved, but it was short lived, as the sound of more undead rose in the air. Close. As Mrrthign stumbled back, scrambling back over to Leda as the sounds grew louder. He began pulling again, dragging her as fast as he could. From above the scene of the horde scrambling through the underground city was like a flood of bodies, multiplied tenfold beyond the numbers of the cave before. Thousands now poured over and through the city. Bearing down on Mrrthing and Leda. ‘Kill her, KILL her now!’

    ‘No, not YET!’ Mrrthing seemed to be arguing with himself, while desperately trying to drag her.

    His muscles burned and flexed as he pulled her now close, they were close to the main archway. If there had been a shadow cast from the temple they would be well within it.

    The horde was pouring out again from all angles, flooding the city and closing in on them.

    Grunting, his eyes bulged as he dragged her closer… the towering pyramid like temple towering above them. Mrrthing pulled with every last bit of strength as he felt Leda’s body pulled in the opposite direction as an undead had latched onto her arm trying to claw into it as he dragged both Leda and the undead through the temple’s main archway. The undead’s grip was broken as the crossed a seal, finally passing into the temple through a large archway several stories tall. The horde behind it was tumbling in a gigantic wave, crashing against the temple walls as it drew closer to the archway. Until they were poised to cross into the temple as Leda had… dragged across the threshold by Mrrthing.

    They stopped. Their ravenous hunger evident on their faces as the horde was clawing forward, but unable to cross into the temple. Held back and unable to pass…

    Mrrthing collapsed backwards, exhausted. Before not too long though he had recovered, crawling and scrambling to his familiar all fours gate. Pressing on into the area they had come to be in. Looking up and searching.

    The inside of the temple was expansive… as a vaulted high ceiling, seemed to go to almost the top of the pyramidal structure itself. The room they were in was a single large room, with only three anti chambers, at the left, right, and rear of the large room. The large stone cobbled floor was incredibly ornate, with dark polished stones, in contrast to larger lighter swathes of the floor. Runes and what seemed like veins and channels lined the structure… though they appeared to be dormant and having been unused for some great time. In its center, a large elevated platform upon another elevate platform surrounded by large steps, spanning dozens of feet around a large sarcophagus. Its outside was a dark charcoal polish stone. The only other distinguishing feature was an alter at the back center of the room.

    “I brought her… you said… one more!”

    Mrrthing, scrambled up to the sarcophagus’ base. His tone a mix of excitement and impatience.

    Mrrthing though Leda to still be unconscious, but her will to survive was stronger than he knew. As despite the wound to her head and the unconscious state of their journey, she was regaining consciousness. Even as he attempted to commune with someone or something…

    One moment Leda was looking into the large, bulbous eyes of her creature-companion while it had been pacing frantically, questioning her words in a maddeningly annoying way and the next… well she just wasn’t.

    The young warrior had rocked back on her knees, intending to push up to her feet when a sudden and sharp stab of pain smacked her at the base of her skull. She had gone instantly limp and fallen forward, the ground rushing up and swallowing her whole.

    What followed could only be described as utter darkness, a few howls and shrieks seeping into the silence that accompanied the void. All else was a nothing she was only vaguely aware of.

    Where was she? How did she get here? What had happened?

    But then there was something; a light. Not a bright, all-encompassing light but just a shade other than black. One that pulled her from the hole her mind had been thrown into and yanked her back into the present with a jarring shock. Her yellow-green eyes fluttered open suddenly, sights and sounds assaulting her from every direction to overwhelm her senses. Pain exploded in her head so severe that in addition to all else, made her nacreous and she groaned, dragging a hand up to feel out its source. Touching something wet on her scalp, she knew it was blood. Hers.

    “What. In the KRIFF,” she managed to whisper as her vision cleared. That was when she saw them. Mere feet from where she lay awkwardly on the hard floor, the horde scrambled and clawed at rock and each other alike in order to get at her. Leda’s adrenaline surged then and she sat up quickly, her head spinning so violently with the sudden movement that she was sure she would be sick.

    And that was when she realized something was blocking the undead from reaching her. Like an invisible barrier, they couldn’t cross the threshold into the area she was now located in though that fact did nothing to calm her growing apprehension. Slowly looking around her, she finally found the creature and remembered what it had done. It was talking to itself again and her confusion switched over to anger; intense and vicious. Ignoring the curious room and what it held within its walls, all Leda saw was red.

    If she could just get to her feet, she would slaughter this animal and be done with it.

    @QueenSabe7
     
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  2. QueenSabe7

    QueenSabe7 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 23, 2001
    (Adding the below a little late, but better late than never?)

    Title: Tales of Darkness: The Trial of Darth Leda
    Author(s): @dragonsith13 and myself
    Timeframe: N/A, exists in an alternate timeline
    Characters:
    Darth Leda, human female
    Lord Draconis, human male
    Lady Liyah, the Dark One, humanoid female
    Thua & Ambi, desire demons, humanoid females
    Mrrrthing, a mysterious extension of a powerful Ebon Knight, species unknown

    Genre: Drama, Action, Thriller
    Keywords: N/A

    Summary:
    Darth Leda, an ambitious Apprentice within the Knights of Darkness, sets out on her Final Trial as instructed by her Master, Lord Draconis. The headstrong young woman knows the challenges her mentor would force her to face would be great, but she has no idea the journey she has only just begun will be one she would least expect.

    Notes: This epic tale is my character Leda's Final Trial within the Knights of Darkness, a dark side fan club located in the SWC forum. What started out as a simple last task by my Master, morphed into a 5-month long creative journey that challenged both authors. I would like to offer a HUGE thank you to @dragonsith13 for creating this fantastic story and for keeping me on my toes the entire way through. Cheers.



    Part 2:

    ~Restless, and not behaving~

    The cavernous tomb, with the central sarcophagi seemed to over shadow the low drumming noise of the horde restrained at the entrance of the large temple. Even with it’s still silence it was overbearing, vast, as it loomed over any now ambient noise in the background. Her head still throbbed, vision was coming back to normal. Senses if she remembered her training would be coming to a more heightened state. Her reactions, perception, and will would be the only thing that could help her now. Leda, was trying to gain her feet, sitting up, and on the verge of springing up to her feet. Trying to recall what she could of this place and hints to arrival… nothing seemed to come to mind though. She was her.

    The sarcophagi, while still, had begun to radiate an energy beyond its normal silent sleep. Aware of the presence of Leda and Mrrthing. A mist emanating from the sealed crease of the sarcophagi, a noticeable crack at the far end bellowing out the majority of a dark purple mist which sank immediately to the floor and began bathing the stone floor in a purple haze. Until it seemed to rise to the height of them all, engulfing the whole room as expansive as it was. The sounds of the horde had disappeared, no longer the ambient noise of crawling, scraping, and gnawing that had permeated and echoed throughout the caverns. If Leda had turned to view the entrance she would have noticed that the horde had scattered, dismissed, and bid away silently by something unseen. Mrrthing’s voice broke the silence as they were surrounded in the purple mist that continued to expand. “You promised I could pick!” Mrrthing scrambled about trying to address the mist as if talking to one part of it then getting confused and swirling around focusing on another. “She is mine!” Mrrthign was still trying to find a central point of focus to address, but the mist spread throughout offered none such.

    “Yet you brought her here?” A female voice, amplified, not centralized. All around emanated from the mist.

    “You promised that…” Mrrthing pressed his demand of the unseen being, but was cut off. As his words suddenly stopped. A gurgling and struggling sound clearly evident as the occasional limb flailing from him could be seen through the now thicker mist. “I promised only one thing.” The voice chimed in as the gurgling continued, until a shriller grunt was heard followed by a thud, as he was tossed to the side and across the temple room, into one of the far walls. The impact nearly breaking his back, as he fell and rolled to the floor unconscious.

    Leda would feel a sense of eyes watching her from nearly all around, a presence looming, foreboding and all around. Pressing in on her slightly. Prodding, exploring, and sensing her. Sensing her restlessness, anger, and hatred.

    “It is ok child. You are safe here.” The voice came across calmer, inviting, and composed. Curious to the being ‘Leda’ before here. Still there was nothing more than a dark purple mist about the whole room.


    There was her anger, all-consuming and nearly blinding as her eyes honed in on the creature that had dared strike her down.

    “You…” Leda growled through clenched teeth, barely above a whisper. Her head was still swimming as her mind struggled to remember recent events, but it did nothing to stall her growing hatred. Fingers dug into the hard ground beneath her, practically clawing at the tiles as if she could drag herself across the floor if need be…

    Then, a sudden pressure inserted itself in her mind, one having nothing to do with her injury. It was immense and minute all at once, encompassing her, filling every inch of this new space she found herself in. At the same moment, a violet-hued smoke had begun creeping from the centerpiece of the room that she only just noticed; a sarcophagus.

    She had no time to ponder its purpose as all noise and chaos seemed to drain from her ears, replaced with an oppressive silence. It was a jarring switch, one that allowed Leda to miss most of the creature’s ramblings while she focused on what was happening around her. She had no other choice but to release her rage, pushing it back and way, opening herself up to this peculiar and foreign experience.

    A voice. Female. Everywhere.

    Leda didn’t stir in reaction. Instead, the young warrior closed her eyes and took a deep breath, assessing the presence that permeated every inch of her surroundings. The mist continued to curl about her form with the barest of wisps, crawling over her legs, arms, face. She found the overall feel to be… inviting. Relaxing even. Intoxicating.

    When the mysterious voice next spoke directly to her, it took her a moment to remember why she was here. Who had sent her to this place. And that she must survive.

    “Safe,” Leda repeated under her breath. Her head tipped back slightly as if she were still woozy… but the ache in her head was subsiding to the point of a semi-prominent annoyance.

    Her eyes snapped back open, her posture suddenly rigid.

    “Safe?” she asked, peering about in the fog. “I don’t… feel safe…”

    She trailed off, searching for any direct source of the speaker.

    Safe… ironic as the ideal was internally dismissed by the voice, which continued to question and interrogate her. “You need not worry my dear.”

    “I see you met Draconis.” Changing the subject the woman’s echoed again throughout the mistand chamber, her voice a bit annoyed and bothered by the idea of his constant meddling. “Well, what is left of him…” her voice chuckled slightly, amused at the thought of his lesser stature. Her voice still echoing throughout the mist.

    There was a movement about the mist as a breeze grew, the sound of a light wisp through the large open chamber. With that the mist seems to collate, drawing in upon itself. The form of a woman becoming more featured, the purple mist seeming to draw into her as her form became for defined. Despite Leda’s prowess and willpower, she would feel her will already being affected. Why had Mrrthing brought her here, knowing that this woman, this thing was here?

    Soft footsteps of a pale near ghost white skinned humanoid with fully engulfed glowing blood red eyes materialized and was walking across Leda’s field of vision from behind. Her fine long black hair down her back. Gold sandals, that wrapped high up her legs to her knees, a soft white dress. With some tears, and frayed ends but for the most part intact draped and covered her. Her hips moved with each sway, coming about to face Leda. The woman’s pointed nails were darker than the darkest night, capping off her long thin fingers. Her face thin, but still featured and pale, dark black lips. Despite all of this her whole self was masked surrounded in a thin veil of purple mist. Almost a buffer surrounding her. Standing in front of Leda.

    “I am Lady Liyah.”

    Was this real? An apparition? Spirit? No doubt Leda had many questions.

    “Your journey to see me was hard. Painful, confusing… you must have questions.”

    Liyah could feel her will, strong, formidable. Trying to stay aware and face what was in front of her, the edge of the mouth tugged with satisfaction and purpose. This could not be real. A manifestation, merely an illusion. Nothing that could affect her. Right?

    It was then that the woman stepped forward, her voice sultry, inviting, confident and reassuring.

    “And I will answer them.” She spoke as she stepped forward, timing her catching of the exhausted Leda perfectly, catching her slightly, her hands and arms extended. Grasping Leda’s shoulders. Bracing her from falling from exhaustion.

    But how? The veil beyond was not breached by the living and dead? Spirits, physically separated and segmented to their own levels. Yet, this thing…this woman embraced her, in the most caring nurturing manner. Touched her. Physically touched her! Not possible… but it was happening. There was a deep dark undercurrent here. Masked and hidden, but inviting. Soothing.

    The pale dark haired woman, leaning in. her face and chin down below Leda’s slumped head. Coming up to draw her attention, as one of her soft gentle hands caressed Leda’s face. Bringing Leda’s eyes to stare into hers.

    “First, I need you well.”

    Leda felt a swell of strength, just enough to keep her from passing out completely. Her vision no doubt hazy at this point.

    A pair of silhouettes began to appear, flanking Lady Liyah. Coming more into focus as they closed in on Leda from either side. Two additional female beings, with large horns protruding from their skulls grasping her. Their purple skin, and almost black eyes peering down at Leda matching her gaze.

    “Once you are well. We will talk again.”


    Leda collapses part exhausted, part pressed to sleep by Liyah.

    Leda dared push herself to a standing position, shaking visibly at the knees. Siphoning the Force for strength, she found it much more difficult to seek aid than ever before. But damn if she would remain wounded on the floor in the face of an unknown threat. Whomever this thing was, she would face it as any proper warrior would; on her feet.

    Despite that resolve, she nearly collapsed as a figure appeared within the mist that hung about, distinctly female though not wholly human.

    As the stranger turned to face Leda, she was startled by the woman’s eyes; a bright crimson, the color of blood. They were in stark contrast to the strangely beautiful, alluring nature of what made up the rest of her.

    A spirit? Hallucination?

    Reality?

    How could she be certain?

    The distance closed between them and though she found herself enthralled by the very existence of this being, she felt herself grow weaker somehow. Even as she fought against what her body and mind craved – rest – the urge to close her eyes again only became stronger. Until… a hand that was not her own caressed her cheek.

    A fleeting bolster of her strength hit her so abruptly that she gasped, her yellow-green eyes now staring into a pair of red ones so close that she was momentarily entranced. They were all she saw, even as she was grasped by a pair of beings unknown.

    And then all went black.

    A cavern by definition is cold, dark, and empty. Devoid of most life. Reserved for a darker adventure into the deepest of places. The lifeless stone of the under city, only slightly warm in certain close proximity places from the heat of the lava flows sat for millennia. Unconsciously paraded through the belly of a forgotten city, which origins she had no understanding of. Even while she had felt her body being dragged across the dirt, stone, and dust of this place. There was warmth in this place, despite her only remembering cold stone. A bubbling life, light where darkness had been. The light hurt her eyes, as she felt herself awakening from a deep slumber.

    Sheets of black satin, bathed Leda, in a large bed. Soft pillows nurtured her head. A bedroom, and chamber, lavishly furnished, that opened to an expansive view of the city. A city that was no longer in the cavern she remembered. There was a blue sky, and birds in the distance. Clouds. The complete mirror of the crumbling city she had seen on the lava plateau after gliding down the massive stairs. The view she had seen moments before Mrrthing had… replaced by this vast view of a thriving city, the faint movements of beings seen throughout. Lesser temples, obelisks, monuments, markets. Streets finely paved. The city and beings within going about their business. Water flowing. Everything full of life. She could feel the heat of the sun on her skin as she sat up, squinting.

    The soft satin sheets caressed her skin, where pain once was… a soothing balm and bandage replaced it. Her head not bleeding. How long had she been here? The balcony before her, called to her… as she awoke.


    A soft moan escaped her lips; not one of pain, but of pleasure.

    Wait…

    Leda’s eyes slowly opened, stinging briefly against a sharp light from somewhere above.

    Realizing she was lying down once again, her body shifted and she winced involuntarily. But no discomfort came.

    There was only a feeling of relaxation and comfort.

    Her hand swept curiously out to her side as her vision began to clear, fingers running along soft sheets black as pitch. She turned her head, white-blonde hair fanning out over a lush pillow. It was then that she became acutely aware of the fact that she was in a bed, and there was not much separating her skin from the materials it was swathed in.

    But as soon as she felt a panic build in her chest, tightening over her heart, her focus was realigned. Slowly sitting upright as if pulled by unseen strings, Leda took stock of the elegant room she had somehow ended up in. And beyond, out an open pair of doors that led to a balcony, the view.

    A city; grand, beautiful and teeming with life that she could feel in every fiber of her being.

    It called to her.

    Climbing out of the bed, her bare feet set down upon a floor that was somehow warm to the touch, as was the air. The glowing sun beamed intensely into the room to heat the parts of her that were bare, she now only clothed in a short and revealing nightgown made of lace, the color to match the sheets she had just cast aside. Padding slowly, cautiously, out into the open air, she gazed all around at the impossible scene of a bustling metropolis.

    None of it made sense, but her mind refused to try and put the pieces together. It was just accepting all she was being shown, and she didn’t fight it.

    The ambiance of it all, could easily draw someone in, captivate them. A scene of serenity. A thriving place, full of life and energy. Contrasting the pain, sorrow, and depth of traveling to this point. Yet her she was. Leda amidst a view to captivate one’s soul.

    The feeling of her being watched was evident. Her senses were heightened like never before, every beam of light, wisp of wind, and inhale of breath felt like a power surge throughout her body. Purely intoxicating. She felt two presences near her. Familiar.

    Leda caught two purple skinned female servants in her peripherals approaching in unison together to her side. They stopped momentarily, offering a slight bow before they proceeded to approach her. Both of them dress scantily. Barefoot themselves as a fragrant scent was tossed about in the wind reaching Leda’s senses, the intake of the sent traveling into her nostrils, down into her lungs, where it seemed to travel down her very spine in an intoxicating aroma, that buckled back up into her mind. Her eyes rolling slightly up as she tried to compose herself. The desire demons, were already upon her as each of them softly reached for Leda.

    Each of them drawing close. One of the demons grasped Leda by the forearm, pulling at her. Seeking to draw her towards something. The other demon was close, an inch away from pressing her body fully against Leda’s as her mouth grazed down her ear, whispering a word in a tongue Leda did not understand. Nonetheless the inviting voice of the demon set in a soft tone, insinuated a darker desire. Both of them now grasping an arm as they pulled Leda away from the balcony. The footsteps of the to demons softly impacting the finly polished and cut marble flooring that surrounding the whole bedroom. Leda was pulled towards a pool. A serene blue large bath.

    The two demons looked at each other catching each other's gaze, a giggle of amusement form both as the pulled Leda closer to the large bath pool.


    Leda was aware of them before they appeared, though she didn’t turn around straight away. She could sense no immediate threat from the pair of beings that she knew to be closing in from behind.

    Instead, the young warrior remained focused on the gleaming structures of the city that stretched to the horizon, her thoughts muddled while she continued to feel an intense pull from her surroundings. The beauty in every direction soothed her, practically washing the faint memory of her injuries from her mind. She stretched her arms across the balcony rails before her and leaned over slightly, breathing in the rush of wind that came up from somewhere far below. She closed her eyes and relished in its warmth, her hair tossing about in the invisible currents.

    Pulling herself back upright with a pang of regret, that was when the presences at her back became sharp and clear. She slowly pivoted in place to face them and found one at either of her sides as she expected; twin females with vibrantly purple skin, the majority of which was unclothed. They stood only an arm’s length away and there was an urge for Leda to reach out, to touch them…

    Her eyes narrowed, curiosity and desire overtaking any fear or suspicion.

    That was when they touched her, one upon an arm and the other stepping to place herself against Leda in a sensual manner, sending a dark thrill up her spine. This female bent her head down and for a split second, it appeared as though she would kiss her… the very idea of it quickening her heart rate and breathing. The being did not place her mouth upon hers, but rather lips traced across her cheek and to her ear. What words were breathed could not be understood, the language completely unknown to her, and then she was moving.

    Leda was guided a short distance away from the balcony to an area of her room she had missed before. A large, serene pool of crystal clear water sat undisturbed and she knew with certainty that she should be within its inviting walls. Therefore she did not resist as the women continued to pull her forward.

    In her mind, she knew something was amiss. The entire aspect of how she had come to be in this place and why she was not fighting to flee its confines still nagged at her, even as she dipped one foot into the water, followed by the other.

    The pair flanked Leda as the scantily clothed demons both pulled her slowly with them, into the shallow end of the large pool. Both of them wearing a simple smooth black cloth which traced their features, yet barely covered and leaving little for the imagination. The pair looked at each other with devilishly desire filled eyes, one of them whispering a few words, foreign to Leda. The other blushed and let forth a sinister giggle. Uttering a sentence back, which finished in the word “Ambi”. The other demon smiled and returned the same sentence with the word “Thua” at the end. Each of them having a slight soft sultry tone back and forth to one another. Both grinning with some sharp teeth showing, a grin of satisfaction and anticipation. Leda turned looking back and forth at each of them once, inferring from the conversation, sensing, and feeling it through the force. She looked at one of the demons “Thua”, then turned to the other uttering “Ambi”. Both of them stopped their light-hearted giggles, their gazes snapping back to Leda and turning serious. Showing Questioning face as their eyes narrowed, their solid black eyes staring at Leda. She may have not known their language but clearly their names. The purple demon Ambi and Thua smiled, breaking into a giggling laugh.

    Ambi and Thua continued to pull Leda forward invitingly into the pool, as Ambi reach around unclasping Thua’s dress strap. Thua mirroring her movement as the black dress, both slipped of the purple bodies of them. Both of the dressed slipping down their legs covering their feet on the floor. Ambi and Thua stepping out of the dresses on the floor as they both dipped their feet one after another into the water. Ripples slowly cascading outward. Their hands both reaching for the night dress Leda wore, slipping the respective strap off her pale white shoulders as it too fell down and landed on the polished stone floor as she was pulled slowly down into the pool, her toes dipping into the water.

    The trio moved gracefully into the water, Ambi’s body pressing up against Leda’s as they moved deeper into a trance like state. Falling into a pleasure some dance which Leda faded into along with the duo caressing her.

    What had felt like a blissful eternity, was bringing her to a state of confusion. She could not get away. How long had she been entranced and enthralled with these two beauties? She could not see where she began and the purple skinned vixens ended. Entangled and caught up in the throes of bliss.

    The moans and giggles, light splash of water began to turn. Leda was captivated, perhaps not aware of Ambi and Thua’s change in demeanor. Their playful nature for all this time turned. Leda who had felt their caressing hands mere moments before felt a pair of hands around her throat, tightening with a strong force. She felt another pair on each of her shoulders the nails of Ambi and Thua digging into her she, their pointed nails drawing blood. Leda was thrust down under the water. A panic over coming her as the once blissful state came to a sudden halt, replaced by confusion, and fear. She could feel more than physical pain as she was underwater as a feeling of sheer energy being siphon from her, leaving her and being drained by the two demons.

    Above the water, Ambi and Thua watched as Leda struggled, both of them laughing hysterically amused by the sight of her struggling and dying at their hands. Both of them holding her down.


    Leda was simultaneously aroused and frightened, feeling the nearly electric touches of her odd companions and yet even knowing that she should not be here, was unable to pull herself away. The hold over her instincts was something far beyond simple desires and pleasures of the flesh; she was not so narrow of a being to disregard a much more important task at hand to spend a few hours in bed with another.

    Thua and Ambi, Leda somehow understanding enough of their language to decipher their names, persisted and succeeded in getting the young woman into the shallow depths of the pool. Their faces said it all, which her yellow-green eyes lingered on curiously before traveling down over each in turn, gazing over every curve and feature of their purple-skinned bodies.

    They were beautifully disturbing and with each graze of a finger, with each caress of their skin, the seemingly serene setting began to fracture.

    And then change entirely.

    In a flash, she could not breath. Immensely strong hands were around her neck, restricting any oxygen to her lungs. Leda gasped and frantically clawed at them, thoroughly disoriented and unable to think straight and strategically.

    Several small stabs of pain arched out from her shoulders then, one of the wretched beings digging her nails into her skin while beginning to push… down. Under water.

    Drowning.

    She thrashed futilely, not able to comprehend how things had gone from one extreme to the other; passion to pain. She understood how intimately the two emotions were linked and as she felt her energy drain away into the turning waters that now surrounded her, she held onto the only other that she knew just as well.

    Hate.

    ~Echoes of Shadows~

    Previously where there had been illumination, there was a darkness about the ancient tomb, as if a dark night had washed over the whole city. The only faint light from the sarcophagus in the center of the large tomb as it silently glowed. Pulsating with an energy not recently seen. There was just Lady Liyah’s voice.

    ‘Are you going to stay out there the whole time?’ Her voice spoke, there was no physical manifestation of her form, just the piercing voice directed at him. ‘Hiding in the shadows like you always do Draconis?’ Mrrthing growled back at her from beyond the tombs entrance his hands cupped around the edge of a corner. Peering into the tomb at the glowing sarcophagi, which showed many shades of purple radiating from it. The light faintly rising with the words and inflections from Liyah. ‘I am surprised you brought her down here…’ Mrrthing was seething unable to move forward as if denied crossing into the threshold of the temple.

    ‘Our arrangement!’ Mrrthing hissed back at her, seething with anger at being on the outside of things now. ‘Our arrangement has been amended now.’ Liyah stated and there was nothing Mrrthing could do to protest, the ancient spirit was too powerful within the walls.

    ‘Bringing me one so powerful, you should have known better.’ Liyah said in a soft mocking tone.

    ‘Turning your own apprentice against you. How wonderful it will be to see… her kill you.’

    Mrrthing leaned back and sank back down and against the outside wall of the temple facing and looking out into the darkness of the city faintly lit by the lava flow which always lit this deep dark place. A dejected look on his bulging eyed face.

    ‘Such a gift you have presented to me… such a fine candidate.’

    The countless others you led down here to their deaths, but this one…’

    ‘I cannot allow such an opportunity to be wasted’.


    ~A Gasp~

    The spectacle of the splashing water, was a slow motion symphony. The naked purple figures of her slaves bouncing and laughing as they held Leda down. A masochistic act which the two got pleasure from as they watched Leda struggling.

    The ancient one approached, her bare feet softly pressing against the polished stone of the large bedroom balcony. Her long purple dress accenting her pale skin, dragging slightly at the bottom behind her on the floor. Flowing smoothly as she gracefully stepped towards the pool.

    ‘Enough.’ Lady Liyah’s voice spoke with are sounding command directed at the two demons. Both of them stopping in their tracks, recoiling slightly their motions freezing as they stared back at their master. Clearly fearful and wary of a response for their actions. Thua and Ambi shrieked both of them lurching back. One scrambling up a pillar and the other digging into the smooth marble with her clams before vaulting to the ceiling. Clasping it, both of them turning back and shrieking back at their master.

    The ancient watched in anticipation, waiting for Leda to react. Display what she knew was there…


    A rush that had no comparison took hold of Leda as she remained held underneath the warm water; evil, cold, and seductive.

    The dark side.

    Expending her energy in such a futile manner – attempting to physically best both of these creatures on her own – was neither strategic nor smart. She was better than that, far better. The warrior immediately quit her useless flailing and stilled… gathering herself quickly. A surge of focused power coiled within her chest and she formulated an imminently violent attack, one that she knew would do its proper damage.

    Just when she was ready to release her inner rage, the pressure holding her down vanished and Leda sprung up to the pool’s surface, her lungs sucking in the oxygen they so desperately needed. As air rushed in, the burning in her vital organs eased and she screamed, frustration and confusion overwhelming her control.

    This was when her eyes found the enigmatic woman from before; Lady Liyah.

    She was acutely aware of the pair of demons scrambling away at their mistress’ command, but her gaze was momentarily transfixed on the beautiful female standing before her. There was something about her presence, one that was old and mysterious, that urged the blonde to open up; to unleash things within herself she may not even know she was capable of.

    To fulfill her true potential.

    The sight of Liyah only fueled the unnatural strength that was now near its breaking point, her breathing unsteady and fast as she struggled to contain it but she knew she no longer could. Leda’s thirst for vengeance drew her into its embrace at last and she tore her eyes away from the woman, latching her focus onto the closest demon that was now crawling the walls in its attempt to flee.

    A malicious grin spread across the warrior’s face as she reached a hand towards her target, her fingers clenching inward around its frame via the Force. With a burst of energy, she slammed the purple-skinned female’s face into the permacrete surface she was scaling before yanking backwards, peeling its hold away from the wall.

    Leda then suddenly leapt from the pool and touched down lightly upon the ground outside, simultaneously sending the creature flying back into the water, holding it beneath the surface exactly as it had done to her. Coming to her full height, she paid no attention to the fact that she was completely naked, her mind in the hands of the dark side, submitting to its bidding.

    Her right hand still held the flailing demon underwater as she set her sights on the second, using her left hand to grab hold of its escaping form. Again using the Force, she pulled it towards her, halting it a few feet from where she stood. As it dangled above the pool next to its companion, her hand began to apply intense pressure to its windpipe.

    Exacting revenge on both these creatures that sought to kill her moments earlier, she relished in their suffering and panic, the sounds of the turning water and gagging breathes filling her ears as all else was turned out.

    Leda wanted nothing more than to drain the life from them both.

    Liyah was feeding Leda, slightly allowing some of her intoxicating power to flow into her, giving her a leash to run with and see how far she would and could take it. Clearly satisfied with the result having allowed and given such.

    A soft clap from in front of Leda as Lady Liyah stood observing the scene. Amused and excited by the display. Relishing in Leda’s anger and display of malice towards her lustful slaves.

    Feel it flowing in you Leda, the hatred for them. Their throats within your grasp as they fade with your touch now..

    The ancient stood for moments gazing at the flesh in front of her, as she desired it as well. The form of Leda, curves. Pulsing with life, ability, and freedom.

    She stepped forward with a white robe in her hand, as she raised it. Coming near Leda poised to wrap it around her. ‘Come apprentice. We have more pressing matters.’ The utterance of the word apprentice, as if she had claimed ownership. Seeing something powerful in Leda, Draconis foolishly having brought her here to her feet. Insinuating her control and governance of the woman.


    Blinded by her lust for the power coursing through her body, Leda felt a sudden growth in its strength, the passion of darkness nearly undoing her right then and there. Her eyes had morphed from their normal yellow-green to a shade of golden red - the color of deep dusk - all they saw were her prey as she sensed their lives being quickly distinguished within the Force.

    Just a little longer, bitches, she thought with vehemence, a hungry grin spreading across her lips.

    As if a barrier were suddenly forced in on her mind, her concentration abruptly broke as her senses were pulled away from the task at hand and redirected back to Lady Liyah. Leda’s grip on both the demons released themselves and she collapsed to her knees, panting for breath.

    Raising her head as the woman approached, she slowly climbed back to her feet, her hands trembling slightly for reasons both known and unknown.

    Hearing the word “apprentice” in reference to her, coming from someone else’s mouth that was not Draconis was almost like a slap to the face, bringing her a renewed focus and sense of awareness…

    Draconis… the creature that had lead her down here… whoever her master was, could she have chosen wrong? Put her faith in him to mold her into the finest Sith she could be? Could this woman, for all her intrigue and raw power, be the better option?

    Rather than allow her to wrap the proffered robe around her shoulders, Leda snatched it from her hands though not yet putting it on. Naked, soaked through, and beaming with the energies of the Force, she stood as she was and stared into the ancient one’s face. A decision was made, the words passing over her lips without hesitation or worry.

    “Yes, my Master.”

    Then she bowed low in submission.

    …………….

    The memory of her having been underground, traveling to this deep dark place seemed to be a dream, the view before her one that of the this palace and surrounding city full with life. Familiar as if it has always been this way, and what felt like having been only yesterday… the feeling that she had just arrived… Was in reality months in this place, as time seemed to blur… the darkside feeding her... sustaining her.

    Her muscles were sore. Her mind sharp, but slightly fatigued. Almost comically the demons still tried their gamed, trying to entice her… but were scared at every corner. The mere presence of Leda sending them into a scurry and scramble away into the shadows. The Dark Lady had fed her mind, body, and spirit. Pushing her, speaking to her.

    She had grown. Confident, commanding, beyond her failed master. Reborn into a new path. Driven by one worthy.

    ‘Concentrate!’


    ‘Yes Master.”

    ‘How many times?!?!’

    Outside Temple with Liyah standing right at the edge of a precipice wall watching Leda beyond her within the city. Leda stumbled back after staggering off her mark, a jolt of pain coursed through her. The familiar punishment that she was accustomed to from the Dark Lady.

    Refocused Leda came about.

    Leda twirled her saber, as she thrusted forward, leading into a push off of a nearby pillar, vaulting her into a somersault as she landed into a roll, coming up with a saber strike and holding it. While around her several large stones were levitated in the air, held inplace by her concentration as she executed moves with her blade.


    Leda was an extension of the Force as she executed each move commanded by her Lady. Sweat dripped freely down her face and her clothing clung to her body in an uncomfortable way, though that would be last on her mind.

    Her muscles burned with exhaustion but as fine-tuned a warrior as she was, the blonde yearned for the feeling of over-exertion. It meant she was pushing herself beyond her limits and current abilities, which meant she was getting stronger.

    A sharp thrust forward flowed seamlessly into spin, her yellow blade arcing and coming about with lethal precision yet also with a fluidity of a graceful dance. A fierce grin crossed Leda’s face as she accomplished form after form, confidence surging through her as she let loose a shout of fury, eyeing her master as she continued.

    Liyah. The woman had shown her power beyond what she had known before, proving that she had indeed chosen correctly to discard Draconis. He had been holding her back, keeping things from her, perhaps not wanting her to surpass him one day.

    Weak fool.

    Yes, this was exactly where she was supposed to be.

    This place that she had stumbled upon felt more natural to her than anything prior and she had only been here a short time… not long at all… it seemed. But thinking on it, the warrior could not really recall how long she had spent in this ancient realm. It was puzzling, tearing at her concentration and she stumbled, one of the levitating blocks crashing to the ground along with her.

    Collapsing to a knee, Leda took a moment to wipe the matted hair from her face and compose her breathing. The dark side encircled her, wrapping its cold tendrils of energy about her body and mind. It was electric; a sensation that she craved and sustained with all her focus.

    Sneering, she returned to her feet and her routine, as if it were the only thing she wished to do.

    As the Dark Lady Liyah watched over Leda and her training, a dark wave moved towards the temple. A low rumble of growls and groans, indiscernible gargling, scratching, and clawing. From out between a building, exiting from a narrow alley a corpse lurched forward. Its head twisting in the direction of Leda, as it turned, dragging a leg behind it as it came closer. A second one emerged around the corner of another building.

    The sounds were rowing louder, indicative of something, manythings moving closer to the temple and Leda.

    The Dark Lady, the ancient, looked out as beyond and from her higher vantage point a mass of corpses were surging forward at a low pace. Drawing closer to the temple, making their way through the buildings ready to spill out into the large courtyard in front of the grand temple. She watch them moving forward, descending upon Leda… Their ravaged, decayed, and skeleton like appearance, their growls and groans of desire for flesh. Moving closer.

    The ancients concentration was flowing outward down to Leda, as she fed her with a stream of energy, imbuing her with the strength acquired over her time her. The undead horde before Liyah’s eyes, was surging forth upon the temple. Her arms down near her side, but hands and finger outstretched as she concentrated herself. Not on the horde, but Leda. While the decaying horde surged forward, the same horde that Leda would be facing. She would see the faces of the city. Faces of living breathing beings. Mingles among them, flashes of real beings and people, mixed with the decaying corpses. The mindscape of the city of light still present in her mind. An insidious facade still in place by the Dark Lady as she tried to hid the true nature of it all. Leda would see the horde but see many an innocent face mingled throughout, as the Dark Lady tried to counter such.

    ‘They are here to destroy our temple.

    Your ascendance and training is all at risk!

    Kill them all!’


    She had felt it as it was just a shadow creeping in on her location; a slow build of fury that caused her to break form, whirling about on the spot to look in the direction of origination.

    Leda glared at the maze of buildings that stretched out from the courtyard where she currently stood, the bright city in all its labyrinthine and glittery glory. Her keen gaze swept over every street and available pathway in search of the energy source… a slow build that continued inching closer and yet she could not physically see anything.

    She was still panting, coated in the grime of sweat, but her focus had never been stronger. Confident in her strengthened abilities, her eyes slowly slid closed and she concentrated intensely, honing in on the disturbance with her senses.

    It didn’t take long.

    There.

    She snapped back to alert and immediately looked upon a lone figure stalking towards her. It was still a good distance away but Leda could tell it was a human, garbed in local attire. It walked with a limp, favoring one of its legs…

    But then there were suddenly more of them, many more. Their signatures hit her like a cresting wave as they appeared en masse out through the streets, alleys and buildings nearby. They appeared to be citizens of the metropolis she had called home for… well she knew not how long exactly, but they belonged here. Yet, they were coming at her with open hostility, slow moving gates, slack-jawed and blank stares. As if… possessed.

    It was a hostile climate and Leda licked her lips in anticipation. She didn’t know what had caused the mob, but they were continuing their trek in her direction regardless and damn it all if she would allow them to enter the temple that stood at her back. Instinctively, her head shot upwards to where her Master stood. The ancient woman appeared to be deep in thought, but she would not be permitted to dwell on that curiosity for long.

    Furrowing her brow in confusion, an instant later her body went rigid and Leda screamed, her body contorting in reaction to…. to what exactly? It was as if her skin was lit on fire from underneath, her heart and lungs exploding with electric charge she had no words for. She rose off the ground and her back arched, the sensation continuing in agonizing spasms. Just as suddenly as it set on, she dropped to the ground in a crouch and bounced back to an upright position. Any discomfort morphed into a surge of strength; her focus was razor-sharp and power… raw power coursed through every fiber of her being. It was not her own, she knew, but Leda welcomed the heavy darkness with open arms.

    The first of them were moving within strike range and she hesitated only briefly, seeing innocent beings obviously meaning to cause harm to her or her Lady, maybe both. There was no sense to it, but her mind didn’t want to take the time to sort it all out. She must do what needed to be done.

    Her pale yellow blade whipped back as she moved into a defensive stance, her body feeling rejuvenated, rested and ready. It was a good thing, this added boost, because as they surged forward as if of one mind she was prepared for it.

    One broad sweep of her saber signaled the beginning, the blade slicing into the torsos of several beings as they wailed and collapsed. This didn’t stop the next wave and she kept moving, fluidly following attack after attack.

    Lunging forward, her saber impaled a man that reached for her with clawed hands. In the same instant, her free hand shoved outward with a burst of energy that sent a pair of city dwellers up off their feet and into their fellows behind. Ducking low, she swept a leg out and knocked a woman clean off her feet. As she came back around, she chopped down once vertically at her victim, successfully decapitating her.

    This went on for a few moments more, single and double targets no match for her heightened abilities. She felt no exhaustion and did not tire, her body becoming slicked with crimson and gore as she took down one after another, not allowing a single person to pass her position. There was one instant however when, despite her effectiveness at protecting what was hers, the mob simply became too much for one such as she to handle.

    They were on her at once and she fell to her knees, pressed there by the weight of them. Hands groped her and choked her as she collapsed to her back, no longer able to swing her blade, its yellow glow extinguishing at her side. There was pain and there was frustration, anger and hate that she was being bested by simple townsfolk, still not understanding why.

    Not today. No way in kriffing hell would she go down like this, and before completing her training.

    NO WAY.

    It happened in a flash; a spark within her chest igniting an inferno that burst forth from her body in multiple ways and in quick succession. The thin control she had over the Force and what it was about to do to her enemy struck a chord of fear in her heart but it could not be stopped.

    From her fingertips, purple lightning crackled and arched, blowing bodies off of her with an explosive power that sent them flying up and off into the city streets a ways away. She shot to her feet as she punched towards the nearest of targets, flames appearing out of nowhere to spontaneously combust its victims. Leda spun about, sending fire around her in a protective ring as being after being was caught up in the flames, their screams dying out quickly as they were overcome.

    And she laughed; a high-pitched, hysterical laugh that was not hers but again, she could not keep down. She barely noticed the men, women, and children her attacks cut down viciously, all of them a blur as the lightning electrocuted them all into charred husks of what they had been. Still, she kept laughing.

    Until she had nothing left to destroy.

    An abrupt silence settled in on her as her fury vanished and she came back to a bleak reality… in a gruesome fan, bodies littered the ground around her in all directions. Some were still whole, some reduced to piles of black ash that began to blow away in the winds funneling through the buildings. It was then that she saw some of their faces, young and old, her chest squeezing as her breathing quickened.

    Calling her lightsaber back to her hand, she slowly turned and returned her gaze upwards, searching for her Master and also wondering briefly when it was exactly that she had become such a savage warrior; when it was that she had allowed herself to slaughter younglings.

    -

    What one would surmise as the night... was cool, a slight breeze like so many, despite the fact that it was always dark. Though the mindscape was near full press, especially since the recent episode with Leda and the horde. The path had now been opened, all that remained was the vessel. The satin sheets like so many nights before caressed Leda’s skin as she rested, a flurry of days of training, growing stronger, and evolving. Finally a night to rest. Undisturbed, as bid by the Dark Lady, whom had desired time to prepare herself.

    Mrrthing was high above clinging to a stone ledge in the massive bed chamber, slowly making his was down a wall inverted, spider walking, as if stuck to the stones themselves. Watching her. The cityscape looming over the large bedchamber open to it all carved in the rock a large massive temple complex. Creeping down closer Mrrthing drew closer to the sleeping Leda.

    ‘Master said… master said he wouldn’t leave us…’ He drew closer silently, almost above the large ornate bed itself. Pausing as he watched. ‘Master trusts us… as if conflicting with himself he silently argued back and forth … ‘master LEFT us here!’

    Mrrthing practically spat at the notion and thought of what had been done to him.

    ‘He will leave HER here too!’

    Mrrthing swayed a bit as if disturbed his hands coming up to the sides of his head as he cradled himself a bit… not caring. Seemingly fed up with it all.

    ‘Let her go to her, get what she wants.’

    Mrrthing dropped to the floor in a controlled drop that saw him dangling from a post above the back, cushioning himself upon landing on the floor on all fours. Bracing and holding still for a moment below the edge of the bedline. Slowly raising up, his head and eyes peering over the bed sheets upon Leda whom till slept. He just stared silently watching her, his hands resting on the edge of the bed while his large eyes watched her in the dimly lit open chamber again the distant lava flow offering light from a distance. Though, to Leda it would be a majestic moonlight bathing her in the cool night, a familiar feeling at this point. Mrrthing was breathing, without being able to help himself, a low growling sound emanated from him as he craved killing her and saving the trouble. There was too much at stake, Draconis was a fool, he, Mrrthing a fool…

    ‘Kill her… there is too much at stake.’

    Mrrthing spoke as he turned, containing speaking to himself further… as he looked away from Leda.

    ‘She… SHE doesn’t - know!’ Mrrthing spoke of Leda as if alluding to her not knowing everything at stake. How could she? Directed by a Master down to this place, showing up. Unexpected, prepared… but not for this. Who could be.

    ‘Kill HER!’

    Carelessly Draconis had thrown lambs to this place… Mrrthing being privy to their slaughter…. Mrrthing sending her down here, and Draconis privy to her slaughter. Draconis stared at her, pondering what to do. Mrrthing stared at her. Growling he was seething at wanting to move upon her, end all of this now. Too much. Too much at stake.


    Leda stirred slightly, a nagging feeling in her dreary mind pulling her away from the pleasantness of sleep and back into the uncertainty of her reality – though, she had gotten quite comfortable with her surroundings.

    Resting on her side in a crimson romper, the dark satin sheets upon her bed had been kicked off at some point in her slumber, the warm breeze flowing in from the balcony providing all the comfort she required. It was pleasant here, when she could be alone like this and she knew she deserved this time now, especially after her assault on the city folk. She was almost surprised their ghosts hadn’t visited her in nightmares, taunting her from beyond death as her other victims so often did.

    As if rising from the depths of the ocean and nearing the surface, she was far enough removed from her unconscious state to hear a muffled noise reach her ears – a voice. Her brightly-colored eyes flew open at that realization and her senses snapped to attention, feeling out to every inch of her chambers.

    Almost immediately she could sense a familiar presence close by, one that was not welcome in her personal space though she did not yet act on getting rid of… it. Him. Instead, Leda remained still and listened to the ramblings of the strange creature, one that had tried to have her killed, and one whose true identity she was now aware of. It didn’t make sense to her, but she had no reason to doubt the words of her Lady.

    She stifled a growl as a spark of anger reignited in her chest and she found she could not wait any longer.

    Shooting upright and simultaneously calling her saber hilt from her bedside table to her hand, she ignited the yellow blade and whirled on him, in a flash the weapon coming to a dead halt just underneath his chin.

    “Looking for something you… lost? My former Master,” she sneered through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing at the creature’s own large pair, searching for some remnant of the man she knew lurked behind them.

    Mrrthing snapped back reeling, but she was too fast and he felt the heat of her yellow blade on his throat.

    ‘No don’t kill us!’ He blurted out without thinking.His bright wide eyes nearly coming out of his head at the surprise.

    ‘Master will NOT be pleased if weees die!’

    ‘Tell her!’

    ‘NO’
    Mrrthing said answering his own statement.

    ‘Wait….’ Mrrthign paused, the previous statement from Leda sinking in now.

    ‘former… Master?’ Mrrthing’s eyes grew narrow peering back at Leda, where before he shrunk back away from her, afraid of her wrath and being decapitated. Now he lurched forward, almost fearless, or oblivious, or worse… concerned. A sense of severe urgency coming over him.

    ‘TELL HER NOW!’ Mrrthing shook his head trying to fight off the other audible voice.

    ‘NO!’


    “Shut UP, you fool!” Leda shouted, not concerned with the volume of her voice. Her saber was dangerously close to the creature and she leaned in to minimize the distance between them, continuing to search its eyes. He was in there somewhere, hiding like a coward.

    “You have nothing you could tell me, Draconis, that would change my mind. I am where I belong…”

    Using her senses, she pushed forth to feel him out, bring him out. But just as she thought she may find something tangible, she withdrew, distracted.

    It was then that Mrrthing felt her presence, Leda would feel it too. The Ancient Dark Lady. She was drawing near. Mrrthing without concern for his life reached forward pulling at Leda’s arm.

    ‘We have to go now!’

    Still trying to tug her out of bed, Mrrthing looked over in the direction to which he knew the darker presence to be approaching from. Seeming to give up Mrrthing stopped and stared at Leda, wondering why she would not come.

    Thoroughly confused, Leda snatched her arm back and leaned away as she sensed her Lady nearby. She stared at the pitiful thing, almost disappointed her former master would not present himself to her. There was a part of her that wanted to face him, to show him she was stronger than he ever could have made her…

    ‘Leave her, SHE won’t do it!’

    Mrrthing’s head swung and grimacing as if sad and worried now. His lip trembling slightly as the realization that she was not coming sank in. He had to go. Letting go Mrrthing slinked back away from Leda. His body, head, then eyes disappearing into shadows, but not before he stared at her with those large wide eyes. Then they disappeared and he was gone.

    ‘Good my dear, you are up!’

    Lady Liyah stood at the side entrance of Leda’s lush chambers, striding forward in a sultry walk as she came up along the bed.


    Leda straightened and deactivated her blade immediately upon seeing her current master striding into her chambers. The hilt dropped into the folds of her dark sheets and she lowered her chin in respect. It was then that she realized she had been breathing hard and fast, struggling to even herself out.

    ‘You seem troubled my Apprentice?’ She spoke in a concerned tone, though in reality she cared not if she was or not. Sitting on the side of the bed, the Dark Lady drew closer, very close. Intimately looking over Leda. Raising her slender hand with dagger like midnight nails, brushing the back of her fingers and hand across Leda’s cheek lightly… consoling her. Her head seemed to sway slightly back and forth as if savoring the fragrant pleasant smell of Leda. ‘Your flesh, your skin. So perfect my dear.’ The Dark Lady’s hands moved elsewhere across Leda and down her shoulders and arm, as if savoring the feeling of her. ‘Your body... a temple!’

    The touch of her master was simultaneously pleasing and troubling, consoling and worrisome. Leda trembled under her powerful fingertips, sending a chill out to every limb. She dared not move nor question her Lady’s words and gestures, only watching her through lowered eyes.

    Her beauty still managed to startle the warrior. It was unnatural, frightening even, but alluring more than anything else… drawing one into her sway. Her very presence was intoxicating. It was then that a sudden question burst forth in her mind – how did I get here?

    She paused looking over Leda one last time. Admiring her. Standing up in avery lady like manner, she looked down at Leda. Her tone now changed, the out of character fawning over.

    Get dressed. Meet me in the Temple. We have much that needs to be done Apprentice!’


    At that the query vanished and she broke free from a slight daze. The apprentice stood the moment her master left and she immediately set about cleaning herself up and dressing as she was told. As if an automaton reacting to a routine, every movement was almost robotic in nature, not a second wasted as she progressed. Securing her saber to her belt as the final touch, Leda strode across her room and began the short journey towards the Temple with nothing more than a nagging concern that something felt… off.

    @dragonsith13
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  3. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I was confused to see that this stuff got no replies before, well, you posted the next installment. I understand that you're RPG forum folks and that we don't have the background info on what is going on here, but this is awesome. I'll dissect it piece by piece later, but I thought I'd leave a quick comment to tell you this. :)
     
    QueenSabe7 likes this.
  4. QueenSabe7

    QueenSabe7 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 23, 2001
    Thank you for the interest, @Ewok Poet and I understand this might be confusing to those that aren't familiar with the KoD. As my notes on the story state, this turned into a huge monster novel-type thing as dragonsith and I wrote, so we thought this would be best showcased here and posted in 5 installments.

    Apologies for not making that clear at the start! But I hope you enjoy.
     
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  5. dragonsith13

    dragonsith13 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2005
    [​IMG]

    Part III

    ~From within~

    The Temple would be as she first remembered, cavernous stone, obelisks placed throughout. Polished obsidian decorating certain areas. It all seemed to be perfectly preserved. Dark Purple and black tapestries now hung, runes and script lining them, the borders of them trimmed with gold. Torches throughout brought light to darkness, illuminating near every inch of the several stories high ceiling that rose up following the pyramidal like shape of the temple. Dozens of candles, some of which looked like they had been burning for days sat upon the sarcophagus of Lady Liyah, the wax dripping down onto the surface. Equally many candles sat upon an altar, one which Leda would have recognized from her time previously in this room. The alter sat towards the back of the large room adjacent to the rectangular pool of black liquid which maintained its eerily still appearance.


    Outside the entrance of the temple, the one Leda had been dragged through by Mrrthing, a few remnants of hoard still remained. Lingering and wandering about though not immediate threat, it was just something she was accustomed to with her time spent in this place.

    Near the altar was the Dark Lady, facing away looking down upon the black pool in front of the altar. Thua and Ambi, the two demon like creatures in her servitude stood back watching and guarding for once actually clothed, though still modestly. Wearing a light armor, that offered some practical defense, though it still all seemed expressly revealing and more ceremonial than anything else.

    Outfitted in ceremonial robes of black and crimson with her hair tied back loosely in an intricate braid, Leda entered the space and came to a stop a respectful distance away. Her yellow-green eyes swept disdainfully over her Master’s purple-skinned slaves before settling on the ancient woman who was facing away from her. As she stood in silence for a moment, a fleeting moment, an idea flashed through her mind, clear and dangerous; her pale yellow blade activating and its glow arcing through the air, brought down with lethal precision to bury itself in her Lady’s back. It was there and gone in the same instant, a chill running up her spine as it passed.

    Not all was as it seemed. The Apprentice could sense it in her marrow and the Force seemed to be alight with subtle warnings. Just the same, Leda slowly lowered herself to a knee and bowed her head.

    “I am here, my Master.”

    The Dark Lady stood silently, the flanking purple-skinned slaves standing off but clearly on guard and agitated. Waiting for something to transpire, their affinity to the force was strong but their ability to mask their intentions was lacking. Leda would clearly sense this. Though in the presence of her master it remained to be seen if she would recognize their true intent.

    ‘Are you ready to ascend Apprentice?’ The Dark one spoke her voice soothing, yet sinister… awaiting something it seemed.

    ‘Are you ready to give yourself fully over?’

    Leda raised her chin at the sound of her Master’s voice, confidence surging through her and masking her previous worry.

    “I am ready,” she replied simply, strongly. She knew she was as prepared as she would ever be to take the next step in her quest for power, strength, and knowledge.

    ‘Good,’ A sinister smile tugging at her perfectly shaped midnight lips. Turning around finally, Leda would see her blood red eyes staring at her. The Dark Lady wore a full length ceremonial dress, black and purple with gold trimmings, which flared out onto the floor. Form fitting as the scale like black and purple skirt reflected some of the rooms torches. An elaborately jeweled collar which cover and wrapped around her neck, held her in perfect posture as her midnight hair hung down. Her chest pushed up revealing her near white skin. Her black dagger like nails at the ends of her hands as open hand sleeve black gloves covers her arms from her wrists up to her upper arm.

    She walked past Leda her nails passing over her head in a caressing nature, slightly running through her hair.

    The Dark Lady coming to a stop behind Leda, her hands sliding over Leda’s shoulder, grasping her lightly and ushering her to rise up. One of her hands moving down along her shoulder and arm to her hand gracefully holding it and raising it up. ‘Through blood..’ The Dark Lady grazed one of her talon like nails over Leda’s wrist. Opening the flesh with ease. The Dark Lady gave little to thought to the reaction of Leda, she simply just move forward with the ritual. As she flicked her wrist and arm back at the altar. As a splash of blood landing on the stone, splattering.

    Leda, now standing, barely winced as her Master created the small wound upon her arm. The pain wouldn’t be an issue but as she bled, the crimson flowing in rivulets down to her fingertips as her hand fell back to her side, it was surprise that she felt - discomfort of a mental sense. She had not known what to expect when this time came in her training, but the warnings she felt at first returned in full force now and she became immediately suspicious, though not allowing her true feelings to break through her stone-faced facade.

    She remained still, watching the captivating woman continue, hyper-alert and aware to her every movement and word.

    ‘Through bone…’ With the utterance of those words, what appeared to be a leg bone specifically a femur, rose to the altar and carefully was placed upon it. The bone was not from the Dark Lady, but someone else. More specifically someone close to the Dark Lady from a more ancient time.

    She approached the altar and turned. The next step required more than just drops of blood. Something she knew Leda would not willing give up… it was at this moment that the silently watching and waiting slaves took a step forward. The Dark Lady assumed a near alluring and inviting pose near the altar. As if waiting for her prize to come to her.

    Without a direct command Thua and Ambi came about, approaching Leda… they were armed. As if planned and scripted. Each with an identical short spear like pike that was only a few feet long, the length of a short sword at their hip.

    The torches and candles surrounding the altar seemed to flare and grow in intensity. A darkness was beginning to swirl as even a dark mist hung low to the floor behind and towards the back of the massive room. As if creeping slowly and waiting to be unleashed.

    She saw them before they had even begun to move, the seductive and devious creatures that guarded her Master at every turn. The pair of purple-skinned demons came towards her in a manner that was openly threatening to Leda, her eyes having already noted the weapon each female had at her side.

    Confusion took hold of her then. Was this another test? A final trial? While she was not panicked at the possibility of having to physically deal with both slaves - she had managed them before and would be able to easily enough once more - she looked to the Dark Lady, now with a quizzical tilt to her head. Had she not already proven her abilities? Time and time again?

    Her gaze not leaving her Master, the warrior freed her saber hilt from her belt though not yet activating the blade. Reasons why aside, if she must fight… she would fight.

    Unwillingly refocusing upon the creatures still on the approach, her brow furrowed as she felt it; a presence she had come to know all too well...

    The large bulging eyes in the darkness, that Leda had first seen so long ago at the beginning of this quest. Now peered upon what was unfolding, what he knew would happen all along since entering this place and having her wretched away from him. He moved quickly unable to standby further. Outmatched, and facing sure demise. Out of the shadows he sprang.

    In a full animal like sprint out of a secluded place in the corner of the tomb, Mrrthing jumps landing a jumping kick to Thua’s chest catching her completely by surprise, knocking her back, while avoiding a swing from Ambi’s short pike sword with a somersault forward. Distracting them from their approach upon Leda.

    The Dark Lady, turns to see him almost on-top of her, eyeing Thua and Ambi in the background reeling from having missed stopping Mrrthing. She moves to avoid Mrrthing at the last moment, but is unable to do so fully. As Mrrthing latches onto her back slashing with his nails, tearing her dress slightly across her back. A gash opening from his almost claw like fingernails. The Dark Lady spinning to avoid him further about as Mrrthing is tossed to her side down onto the floor. Talon like puncture wounds across Mrrthing’s forearm from where the Lady Liyah had grabbed and tossed him off her. Coming up to his feet and hands, Mrrthing begins to scramble for the black pool on all fours. A sense of desperation upon his face as he has exposed himself like never before. A few meters away when he lurches suddenly to a stop, halted by the invisible grip of the ancient Lady.

    It had happened so fast, too fast. At first thinking she was being pointlessly challenged by her Lady’s slaves, the creature that somehow carried her former Master within its flesh jumped out of nowhere and into the fray, assaulting the pair of females before she could even make an attempt.

    It was almost as if it were trying to keep her out of harm’s way...

    But why? Leda pondered briefly before bearing witness to the creature’s bold and reckless follow-up attack on the Dark Lady that had been curiously keeping watch.

    “Idiot!” she growled, instinctively igniting her blade and preparing to assist her Master. She had taken but a step towards them before the ancient woman had the bulbous-eyed humanoid within her grasp, to which Leda halted with weapon held at the ready.

    With the movement of her arm and flick of her wrist Mrrthing is dragged across the floor, impacting into one of the far side walls. A bit of stone and rubble dislodging from the impact, falling down upon him. Not relenting the Dark Lady draws down further, maintaining her grip through the force on him, as he is dragged back across the stone temple floor. Slamming into one of the obelisks as he rolls, finally coming to a stop near Leda. A surge of lighting leaves the fingertips of the ancient one, surging across the room and hitting Mrrthing as he convulses and is racked by the energy coursing through him. Surprisingly Mrrthing is able to summon some strength as he rises and begins to charge again, but is stopped in his tracks by another bolt of energy. His legs and arms giving out as his face plants upon the floor, himself sliding to a stop.

    The Dark Lady stood in front of the black pool, composed and stern. Her arm and hand previously used lowering from where it had been sending tendrils of force lighting and gradually coming to her side. The wound on her back would have produced significant injury to anyone, though the surprisingly large gash in her back from Mrrthing did not bleed. Angrily the Dark Lady stepped forward away from the altar,towards Mrrthing and Leda.

    ‘Kill him!’ The Dark Lady commanded referring to the fallen Mrrthing in front of Leda. ‘And then show your new servants… Apprentice!’ The Dark Lady spoke staring at the purple skinned desire demons, with a sinister smile. Referring to them as Leda’s new property. ‘..how one properly serves a Lady!’ ‘Thua and Ambi stood enraged, it was clear they would not let some upstart pup, such as Leda. Take their place at the table. The Dark Lady’s call to also kill the slaves hung in the air. Thua and Ambi still gathering themselves would not wait for Leda to make the first move, as once they both came to bear they would kill her.

    The opportunistic ruse to wear Leda down, was playing out perfectly. While Thua and Ambi were originally tasked with bringing Leda to her knees. In preparation for the final phase of the ritual. The development of Mrrthing emerging onto the scene, while inconvenient, had presented the perfect distraction.

    Leda glared down to the crumpled creature at her feet, wisps of smoke carrying the foul odor of charred flesh to her nose. It looked pathetic, having been tossed about so easily, so carelessly, so deservedly.

    What had it been thinking? What had HE been thinking? Remembering her former Master, there was nothing she could recall about him that would have been foolish enough to intervene as he had. Or perhaps she had just never known that he was, in which case her decision to cast him aside and align herself with her Lady had been the only one she could have made.

    Setting her jaw, she looked to her Master as the alluring woman closed in and stated her commands. Thua and Ambi didn’t concern Leda in the least - they were nothing more than an annoyance she’d be more than happy to end. She didn’t even spare them a glance. It was who lay before her that she focused on, twirling her saber once in agitation as the very idea of finally killing this creature became an actual possibility.

    It had certainly been a long time coming.

    “Get up,” she said, using the toe of a boot to nudge a still-smoking arm.

    Mrrthing was barely moving, but somehow again managed to rise up slightly, coming to his knees in front of Leda. His breathing labored, shoulders hunched forward. Bleeding, with blood running down his arm and also from a large gash in his head. Staring her with those eyes. He had literally dragged her down here. Smashed her head with a rock, lured her into this spider web. Deceiving her repeatedly. The question in Leda’s mind as to why now had he interjected himself into this play clearly conflicting with her senses. He had attempted to use her as a bargaining chip, initially having the Dark Lady take her for herself. The nudging kick to his charred arm jolting him to try and rise, though he stumbled whilst doing so.

    Thua and Ambi lurked slowly and cautiously closing in… their dark eyes peering at Leda ready to rip her apart and dance upon her corpse.

    Mrrthing starred up, knowing he had lost her. Beaten and dying knowing he could only hope his final act opened her eyes.

    Leda met his eyes for a moment, lingering there and searching one final time. With the Force she pried and pressed for something that she couldn’t explain. It was meaningless, futile. If she had questions, the answers no longer mattered.

    She had to let the past die, she must kill it. It was the only way for her to become what she was meant to be.

    With a sneer and sudden surge of conviction, the warrior took a step forward, her heart racing as impending death took hold of her senses. She couldn’t hesitate any longer. Her pale yellow blade abruptly swung back behind her and with a last look, she thrust it forward to impale him directly in the chest.

    With an unknown summoning of will, Mrrthing rose. Everything moved slowly as the frail like in appearance creature came up, one of his arms and hand reaching out to stop the impending strike. The final blow that he knew was coming. Turning in what seemed a deft fluid move, grasping the sword pike aimed at Leda’s head, as Ambi thrust forward at Leda’s neck. Grabbing the pike with a strong hold, and directing it away from thrusting through Leda’s neck. Mrrthing continued the motion and what was once a thrust from Ambi was now a vaulting throw from Mrrthing. As Ambi lost her grip, and had the pike wretched from her grip. The extended pike now flew through the air away from Leda. Seeking out its target, as the spear tip embedded into the forehead of the Dark Lady.

    A shock and stun came over the ancient one, as the spear imbedded into her skull. Her body going limp as she began to fall back. Impacting on the stone floor in front of the altar.

    Mrrthing stood staring towards the Dark Lady who now laid prone on the floor. The pike upright impaled in her head. Mrrthing looked down to see the glowing yellow blade of Leda coming out of his chest. From back to front. The follow through from the thrust having gone right through him.

    Leda had no time to react as several things seemingly took place at once. Her certainty in the creature’s death had been false and mislead, instead it had been her own death that had been the certainty of others. She had been too narrowly focused on him to see their intent and it had nearly been her undoing.

    In as quick a time as it took her blade to follow through on its strike path, her prey had thwarted two separate attacks from the cursed slave demons, effectively saving her life... and ending another’s.

    Her Lady. Her teacher. Her Master.

    Her eyes went wide in horror and an unnatural sound of disbelief left her mouth as she watched the ancient woman die, the sensation of a tearing hole in her gut manifesting as the tall alien’s lithe form collapsed to the ground. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. There was only pain.

    Where she had felt a bottomless wealth of raw power, now felt like a gaping wound; empty and hollow.

    Shaking, small tremors beginning to wrack her body, she became peripherally aware of her blade. Somehow despite the simultaneous string of distractions, it had struck true. She slowly turned her head forward to find herself staring into the familiar orbs of the creature, her weapon driven straight through him as she originally intended. Time seemed to freeze then, until the remaining threat made themselves known.

    Thua and Ambi shrieked, a violent and howling sound as they reeled back at the sight of their Master being impaled through her skull. So reactionary was their response that their posture became even more predatory. Like chained beasts they moved to pounce. Thua hissed at Leda, feral growls and bared her fanged teeth. As the short pike in her hand grew and extended to the length of a spear. Ambi bore her claws, with her arms extended at her sides matching the growl from her sister and pacing about Leda ready to strike.

    Thua and Ambi – themselves as horror-stuck as Leda, their shrieks and wails broke the warrior free of her stupor. She tore her eyes away from the creature and yanked her blade free with a step back, no longer able to care or wonder if she had actually killed it… him. Blinking several times and struggling to bring oxygen back to her lungs, she saw the pair of desire demons through a clearing mental haze. They had always been simple animals to her but now in the impossible event that their Lady’s long life had ended, they had become rabid beasts. It was as if they had finally been uncaged.

    Claws and weapons appeared and their feral movements, beginning to circle and stalk, made their intent obvious. Never mind the palpable malice in the Force that cascaded outward from the pair.

    As if a switch had been turned on, Leda automatically fell into a defensive position, a spark igniting within that evaporated her panic and doused her emotions with cold darkness. As well-trained as she was, molded in the capable hands of not one but two Masters, it was an instinctual thing when faced with a life or death challenge – distractions washed away and her focus became razor-sharp, anger, rage and passion swelling within her mind and body.

    Nothing else would matter except her survival. And vengeance.

    The demons sprang upon Leda. Attacking with a fury she had not seen from them previously. Where once she had mastered them handily in previous events. There strikes were faster, more precise, and challenging as if they had been holding back.

    Like cats they both pounced at once, unnaturally shrill screams following in their wake. With a single, forceful thrust, the pike lunged for her face and she collapsed down to her knees, arching her body backwards to narrowly avoid being impaled much as her Lady had. No sooner had the weapon flashed by did the other demon attack, claws coming down on top of her with unrelenting speed and force. She twisted off to her side in an attempt to flee the talons, not able to achieve a proper counter-strike from this position but was too late by an inch.

    With a strangled yell she felt the nails rip and tear down her left arm, shearing away her sleeve and shredding the skin beneath. Barrel-rolling through the maneuver, she clamored back up to her feet as blood began seeping from the cuts

    Bitch! she spat with venom, leveling her saber with her sight-line towards Ambi.

    Her enemies only laughed shrilly and pressed the advantage. They wouldn’t give her a single moment to regroup, which was curiously smart

    The pike-wielding demon continued to stab and swing, her sister pushing forward with her wild and surprisingly swift hand-to-hand attacks, not allowing Leda an open moment to effectively utilize her much more deadly weapon. She was constantly on the defense and was forced to focus on evading each well-placed move her opponents placed upon her rather than think through how to end this whole encounter entirely.

    Amidst the ensuing chaos she could sense a heightened awareness, feeling the Force ebb and flow from both females in a particular way that only those sensitive to its powers would be able to manage. She had no time to be surprised by this development as they kept attempting to throw her off balance with a Force push here and a tug there, their abilities amateur at best but still enough to distract. On top of this they were moving much faster than before, stronger and more cunning. It was easy to discern their main tactic was to wear Leda down enough to overcome her eventually and so far they were being far too good at accomplishing their goal.

    She maintained a level head, however, just as she had been trained to do.

    Her arm screamed with every movement and a light sheen of sweat had broken out across her forehead… but she funneled the pain back into the darkness coursing through her very veins and marrow, replacing her depleting energy in turn. The Force guided her body and she didn’t fight it, able to keep herself from being thoroughly butchered and finally, she was rewarded with an opening.

    Thua thrust low with her pike just as Leda aimed a Force push at Ambi, shoving the snarling demon girl back into her deceased master. As she went tumbling over the corpse, this allowed the blonde to attack one of them directly and without interference from the other. With a back-handed swing, she made short work of the silver spear, cutting its length down by half. Managing to catch its wielder off-guard, she then kicked high at her wickedly beautiful face, her boot catching the creature in the chin with a brutal ‘crunch’ that sent her stumbling back.

    Guttural wails filled the chamber, the purple-skinned creatures’ rage palpable as they both scrambled to right themselves.

    Leda licked her lips and smiled, watching them, knowing she had seized control. They knew it too, a look of uncertainty washing over their features… ones that suddenly looked rather different. As if the color was being leeched from their skin, the vibrant violet hue paled on both demons, their striking looks becoming sallow and stretched. Aged.

    With a growl, she charged Ambi while using the Force to throw the sheared off spearhead ahead of her, leaping across the short distance and bearing down on her with a vicious overhead strike. The girl’s eyes went wide in realization that she had to choose which attack to focus on, her attention split. Picking which she thought was the lesser of two evils, Ambi spun out of Leda’s path and was instantly met with the spear tip, the blade running her through at the shoulder and impaling her into the rock wall behind. She thrashed wildly in agony as the warrior came down lightly on her feet before her and threw a look back over her shoulder towards Thua - who was, expectantly, charging from behind with a newly revealed dagger in her grasp.

    “Don’t look away,” she called with a devilish grin, soaking in the panic of the others. Without taking her eyes off Thua, Leda used the Force to rip the wounded Ambi from the wall with her free hand, dark energies wrapping around the girl’s throat that kept her from making any more of those fragging annoying shrieks. Her victim gagged and choked, still weakly reaching out with bloodied nails as she was dangled in midair. An abrupt flick of her wrist and there was an audible ‘snap’. She fell limp, her head hanging at an awkward angle, dead.

    Thua skidded to a halt mere feet from Leda and simply stared at her now-deceased sister, for once speechless. Her eyes glazed over with tears, her body practically vibrating with unconcealed shock and rage. While her skin continued to grey and wrinkle, Ambi had literally turned into a husk that crumbled to ash the second her body touched the stone floor, having been released from Leda’s hold.

    For a moment that seemed to stretch into infinity, the two combatants locked eyes in silence, both filled with immeasurable abhorrence for the other; the darkness between them so great that the light within the tomb appeared to dim as each woman pulled hard on the currents of the Force for strength. It was apparent who would harness the greater edge but that wouldn’t stop the other from trying.

    Looking more animal than woman, Thua lunged in with a sudden ferocity that nearly knocked Leda off balance. She stabbed her dagger at every open spot she could find, the warrior apprentice doing the same with her yellow-bladed saber, each of them twisting and spinning out of every attack as they danced across the open floor towards the mysterious black pool.

    With a swipe out at her midsection, Thua managed to scrape her blade across Leda’s stomach just hard enough to tear fabric, to which point the apprentice knew this had to end. Now. And she knew the only way to do was to let her opponent get close, too close.

    Quickly opening her stance and turning into the demon, the girl saw the chance and took it as the other knew she would. Just as she lunged in, her dagger driving into Leda’s already injured left arm, the blonde spun back into Thua and deactivated her blade as she swung her right arm about. Just a fraction of a second too late, the girl knew the trap she had stepped into and she struggle to push away but Leda’s left arm wrapped around the creature’s svelte frame and squeezed, crushing both their bodies together.

    Again they locked eyes, both knowing the fight was over.

    The emitter end of her saber came to rest just at Thua’s temple and with a single flick of the activation switch, the yellow blade flashed quickly, searing a single, fatal hole through the creature’s skull. Her eyes singed and smoldered, smoke trickling from the sockets as the glow disappeared, her face frozen in the agonizing shock of death. And then the body crumbled away just as Ambi’s had, ash and bone slipping through her arms to pile on the floor at her feet, some trickling into the unnaturally still onyx water only a foot or two away.

    Leda stepped back, wincing as the intensity of combat wore off and the prominent throb of her wound came to the forefront. She was breathing heavily and, looking back to Lady Liyah sprawled unceremoniously upon the ground, she felt shock anew.

    What came next?


    ~Standing on ceremony~

    The temple was silent, save for the burning torches ever presently burning and a slight ambient noise from outside the temple. The darkness through the large main entrance contrasting the still illuminated inside of the temple.

    The withered bodies and ash piles of the two demons, Thua and Ambi. The sarcophagus to her left several meters away in the center of the room. The alter several meters away as well at her back, a slight view of the Dark ones limp body in her peripherals. All adding to the silence of the room. Leda was afforded a few more steps, a slight state of shock coming back over her.

    The sound of stone against metal, a faint succession of clink, clink, clink, clink… the thin frail fingers and dagger like nails grasped the spear, near its entry into her skull. While still laying on the stone floor, a low exiting pull took the spear out of her forehead. The erie slow fluid motion, brought the spear out and with a loug pang it was dropped to the side. The echo of it impacting onto the stone floor breaking the silence of the temple. The torches about the room flickers, without mention of a breeze. The Dark one rose, levitating from the floor upright as if her feet were anchored in place though she herself levitated off the floor a meter. With a gruesome look of cruelty and hunger, her jaw seemed to open naturally with rows of sharp teeth. The once beautiful appearance of her gone, completely washed away, leaving a banshee like appearance.

    Leda gasped, her eyes widening and heart racing to a near breaking point.

    Master?! she called in horror, shocked into a defensive stance while watching in disbelief as the corpse reanimated itself – though the smallest part of her was rather unimpressed by the grotesque turn of events. After all she had been through since being brought down into the depths of this cursed place, shouldn’t she have always expected the unexpected? Her increasingly chaotic predicament would certainly fall within those confines… but still, this was hard to stomach.

    Her gaze swept over the Dark One’s rotten, decaying form, not a single trace of her disarming beauty to be found…

    Her skin was dried, near mummified, dry and open wounds lined her body. Eyes sunken, but still blood red! That along with her dagger like black nails which now seemed to be longer than even before being the only distinguishing features of the beautiful woman from before that remained, though her body was even more frail than before. Her blood red eyes peering upon Leda and without warning a howling scream emanated from her, reaching a mass intensity almost instantly. A banshee like scream, which hit Leda like a tidal wave, instantly throwing her back into the air.

    “Master…” Leda repeated, though barely above a whisper now. Staring at the talons and teeth the woman-turned-ghoul bore towards her, she found she had no words. Fear, sorrow, loss was consuming her into silence, her mouth going dry and her throat rasping as though it hadn’t felt the soothing hydration of water in many days.

    She managed to swallow once, a gulp in trepidation as dread flooded her thoughts. Something was about to happen, that much was apparent, and she had nothing but negative feelings about what that could mean. She suddenly recalled the creature’s attempts to save her, to warn her, and as her memories pushed back even farther, realization slowly dawned on her. This ‘ascension’ wasn’t what she thought it would be, her grooming and training slightly off in ways that she hadn’t been able to note before, and there was and always had been a darkness at work here that she couldn’t quite pin down.

    As if in protest of piecing this dizzyingly intricate puzzle together, the wound on Leda’s arm screamed in pain, crimson continuing to flow from the gashes to seep into the side of her tunic. Her head swam as all became eerily quiet for the briefest of moments, the Master and the Apprentice unmoving and tensed, waiting.

    Though, not for long.

    The Force lit an alarm in her mind so sudden that she twitched, a fraction of a second later her ears were overcome with an unnaturally high-pitched wail emanating from the husk of a being that used to be her teacher. Like a crushing wind from a superstorm, the scream hit her square in the chest and knocked the air from her lungs, sending her off her feet and sailing backwards through the tomb. A short distance later, her flight came to an abrupt halt as her body slammed into the stone floor and her head rocked back with the momentum. The back of her skull hit the ground and she immediately tasted blood, her teeth having bit down on her tongue with the impact.

    Leda wheezed and struggled for air as she turned to her side, red dripping from the corner of her mouth and her vision blurred and off-kilter.

    There was no chance to recover, before Leda could even gain her feet, she felt her throat physically grasped. The Dark one having close the gap between them almost instantly a seemingly traveling through a dark rift, teleporting across the room in a flash as she now stood right in front of Leda. Lifting her up off her feet, the Dark one tossed Leda to the side. Leda impacted one of the many obelisks lining the temple.

    It was immediately clear her attempts to regain her breathe would be pointless, an invisible vice grip closing in over her throat before she could even try to stand. Choking and gagging, Leda was hoisted into the air by her Master who was suddenly very close and very much in control. As her saber hilt fell from her grasp and clattered to the ground below, stars began popping in at the edges of her vision as oxygen continued to be denied to her.

    With an odd, strangled sound, she managed to frantically shove out with both hands, aiming a haphazard Force push at her attacker. She had to try something!

    But it wouldn’t matter. As the burst of energy left her body, she was tossed aside like a ragdoll, this time colliding with an unknown structure upon a wall. An audible ‘crunch’ sounded in her ears as her already torn left arm fractured somewhere below the elbow, the agony of it nearly blinding her with rage while she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

    Unrelentingly she was there again upon her, instantly appearing out of thin air and now present in front of her. Again grasped and raised up with into the air on the verge of being tossed yet again across the room. The blood red eyes of the Dark Lady Liyah staring at her.

    Nearly retching as she was violently pulled into the air once more, her head spinning with the abrupt movement, she met the red void eyes of the Dark One with her own yellow-green pair. Their faces were intensely close to one another, the abomination that was now Lady Liyah uncomfortably within her reach. She spat blood onto the corpse’s face and sneered.

    Try. AGAIN, she commanded herself internally.

    In the blink of an eye, she made a decision and her saber hilt rose into the air, flying into her right hand. The yellow blade ignited the moment her fingers clasped the device and in one fluid motion, she drove the weapon sideways and on a downwards angle, aiming to stab the demon through the neck to meet with her cold, black heart.

    Leda’s strike was true and focused, it began to slice into the Dark one but instantly stopped from going further. As if having hit a immovable mountain, her blade, arm, and momentum stopped completely. The Dark Lady looked over to her flesh burned and sliced into, peering at it with an almost surprised curiosity. Turning her gaze back upon Leda, her head cocked slightly and without warning Leda was hit with a backhand swing from the Dark one sending her flying back several feet, the sarcophagus in the center of the room stopping her from going further as she slammed into it.

    Leda let loose a strangled scream – equal parts frustration and agony – as her blade hit an invisible wall only inches into its strike. If it weren’t for the fact that she was dangling in the air by her throat, vulnerable and weakened, she would’ve been thoroughly astonished. How could this be?

    Panic rising, she couldn’t muster the proper energy to swing again with the strength required for another strike, so she deactivated he blade and punched out wildly with the hilt. If she had to bludgeon this creature with her bare hands, she sure as hell would try!

    Her foe seemed to have the same idea, unfortunately and was able to move much quicker. Leda’s vision went black as the Dark One’s fist struck her jaw, sending her mind and body reeling. There was an immediate sensation of weightlessness, blissful almost, but short-lived.

    She felt her hip crash into an immovable surface. Pain seared up and out into every limb, amplifying her injured arm. Discomfort stabbed at her head, warm liquid, thickened, trickling over an eye. Leda moaned, only faintly aware of being back upon the cold ground, attempting to get her bearings.

    The feeling of talons digging into her flesh, would jolt Leda to a bit of focus, as the Dark one sank her talon like nails into her right shoulder. There was no flash of energy, suddenly appearing, and a follow up strike. Just the soft footsteps of flesh against stone. Liyah dragged Leda by the shoulder, a trail of blood evident across the temple floor away from the sarcophagus and towards the altar near the black pool. The stones of the black pool only rose a few inches above the main floor, but it was enough to contain the black still mirror like pool within its boundaries.

    Leda felt limp and ragged, regaining a modicum of focus as the sharp needle-like nails broke the flesh of her right shoulder. Her body pulled in the Dark One’s wake, she gritted her teeth against the pain.

    Her left arm rendered all but useless, she used her other to attempt to pry the claws from her body. In a flash of an idea, she instead punched down once over the demon’s hand, a surge of strength rushing over her like a wave as her new wound opened deeper. She broke through any lingering distraction as the dark caress of fresh agony melded with her other injuries to feed her will to survive.

    She was refueling the dark side that hungered for her blood.

    The once familiar voice of her Master the Dark Lady, calmly spoke, composed, and focused. Contrary to the banshee like screams moments earlier. You did so well Apprentice!’ Her somewhat impressed but yet condescending tone evident.

    Dragging Leda to the base of the steps surrounding the altar. ‘So close to ascending! The Dark one spoke selfishly of her plans to continue to use her.

    ‘So strong!'

    'So willful!'

    Leda was now trying to get her legs beneath her, using her resurgent power to fight back. Though, against this foe it still seemed like child’s play to her.

    “Ascending to what exactly, you old hag!” she sneered, a gasp of discomfort escaping her lips as blood trickled from the widening holes in her shoulder. However, it did not slow her from working to free herself from the demon’s grip. Death?

    With a swift lurch, Leda was raised up and slammed down onto the altar, unable to move physically from being broken and near death on the altar. The Dark Lady looked upon Leda with a ravenous desire eying her as the perfect host for her!

    ‘There is a fire inside you young Leda!’

    ‘One that I just MUST have!’

    Liyah leaned over her, her talon like nails wrapping around her head while kissing Leda, her hands grasping her head, yanking and holding her to her dried dead lips. Despite the gruesome sight of a corpse the, passion exhibited from the darker one was strong. As she clung and drove herself into the young woman. The power was overwhelming, surging through Leda, an infectious drug which burned in her veins. The essence of the Dark Lady was pushing her body to the limit and scrambling her mind. She could not think as she tried to focus and resist. But there was no resisting. She was just too powerful. Her domination over Leda was complete as her spirit and essence flowed into Leda’s living body. The dried ancient mummified husk of the Dark Lady slowly fell backwards. Falling lifeless on the stone floor away from the alter.

    No longer able to resist. It began to unfold. Possession.

    Silence.

    @QueenSabe7
     
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  6. QueenSabe7

    QueenSabe7 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 23, 2001
    Part IV


    ~The struggle within~

    As if in a dream, Leda floated serenely and calmly in an unknown space. It was pleasant almost. A feeling of warmth cocooned her entire body and mind, wrapping her in a soothing blanket of comfort. She felt no pain, no anxiety, no worry.

    There was no fight, no struggle, no deception.

    And for that, she liked it here… wherever here was. There was an allure, an intoxicating sensation to being so free.

    But then something began to creep in at the edges. A darkness, much more than a malicious force. It was an endless void of blank nothingness that rapidly picked away at her place of peace. And she could do nothing to stop it.

    In a cresting wave of pure, unrestricted evil, it took hold of her with such force that for a moment it felt as though her mind would surely break, cracking open and dropping away into insanity. Leda held on with everything she had left, desperately trying to keep herself together while unrelenting energies sought to tear her to shreds.

    The warrior was powerless to thwart the inevitable and with a burst of power it all overcame her instantly, sending her consciousness back to reality with an abrupt jolt.

    And she screamed, a deeply horrid wail of such torment and violation that she had never known before this encounter. Her body shook violently and her mind swam with things that she knew and others that she did not, things that frightened her to the core.

    In the midst of this, she realized where she was and remembered every last detail of what had transpired, rolling from the altar to stand - to flee. Her legs felt oddly detached from her brain, however, sending her stumbling awkwardly about the tomb, not yet laying eyes on the now truly deceased form of her Master nearby.

    Leda’s eyes turned blood red, replacing her natural green-yellow hue. Her body was racked with pain, as the Dark Lady flowed through her like poison working to gain full control. Thought after thought, as memories from the Dark Lady clouded her own identity. Visions of past events. Times ancient and foreign to her. The city built, thriving with a blood thirsty Queen dominating. Her will spreading about an unnamed world, consuming it for her own desire. Battles, death. Lust. Victories. A unrelenting myriad of past events, assaulting her own consciousness.

    Then a sudden stillness. Calm. The faint roar of torches was the only sound now in the silent temple, along with the shuffling sound of Leda’s hands and knees against the floor, as she struggled against the near overpowering will of the ancient Sith. She seemed to have her mind back, but it was not to pass. Leda’s back arched as a coursing pain drove up her spine. Leda’s grevious wounds began to slightly heal, a result of the influx of the power flowing in her.

    The Dark Lady, Leda could feel her inside her, as her veins were on fire and still even worse she would feel and see the horror of her body contorting. Leda’s skin went pale, her nails grew excruciatingly fast, turning into the familiar talon like nails of the Dark Lady as she took on some of the features of the ancient one. A burning searing pain within her mind, as the Dark Lady spoke within her, a language foreign but yet understood clearly by Leda. The power was intoxicating, but more and more Leda was slipping away. Her consciousness threatening to be pulled apart.

    Leda stared in horror at her hands and the skin upon her arms; they were no longer her own. The heat searing her from the inside out, a darkness of such strength that she had only ever dreamed of lighting every part of her with electric energy; they were not her own. Thoughts, memories and images flowing through her mind with alarming clarity, things she had never done nor seen; they were not hers.

    She knew what was transpiring now, that dwindling part of her own brain that could still register what was happening. The realization had become suddenly clear, partly because it had become painfully obvious… but mostly because she could see into the Dark One’s mind as it was forcibly taking over hers, her plans revealed. She had never been the Lady’s Apprentice, a student that she saw worthy of her teachings and knowledge. No. Leda had only ever been just a body – a vessel - she had strengthened and ‘fattened up’ to her liking, meant to house her soul when the time came.

    She hadn’t seen the signs before, and now that time had come. Was it too late?

    She had inched her way over to the mysterious black pool, leaning over its edge to gaze upon her face a morbid curiosity having taken over – perhaps it was Liyah who had wanted to see. How could she truly decipher the difference now? Regardless, the reaction was immediate.

    An unnatural sound between a sob and a shriek, the warrior fell back away from what she saw and her hands came up, frantically wiping at her face and eyes. She didn’t know them anymore; in fact her entire visage had become so distorted that she could no longer see much of herself.

    “Get… out of my HEAD! Leda shouted in rage, the Force gathering around a fist that she pummeled into the stone beneath her knees. It reduced the ancient surface to rubble, though she felt no pain.

    It was unbearable and something had to give, slowly her will was eroding. Leda’s will was impressive, astounding that she had survived this long. Resisted.

    The voice of the Dark Lady, spoke from within her.

    ‘I was hoping to meld you into my consciousness, use your mind along with me…’ The Dark one spoke, alluding to her desire to use the strength of Leda along with her own, but now knowing that the young Sith was just too willful and powerful to chance.

    ‘But I will just have to hollow your out from the inside…’

    “No, bitch,” Leda responded, spitting the words out like venom. This was it. Kill or be killed.

    Her body was moving though not of her own volition and her mind had begun to reject her consciousness, feeling the renewed attack as if her very soul were being torn away piece by piece. Digging into the deepest recesses of inner strength and will, she stopped assuming the part of the victim and began to think like the predator.

    Nails began to crack and bleed as Leda dug them into the dirt and stone, the pale skin upon her knees bruised and torn from resisting being pulled to her feet. She ground her teeth with exertion, her body vibrating with strain. And yet… she still became less.

    A wave of panic broke into her last run at concentration. It wasn’t working.

    As if she were in a box, water filling in from the bottom to creep upwards towards her head, she was drowning in her own body. Slowly, excruciatingly, unrelenting. Even the air was being squeezed from her lungs as the Dark One’s needs overtook hers and she began to hyperventilate, gasping for her last moments of life.

    This can’t be how this ends!

    All the Shadow Knight received in response to her plight was even more torment and anguish, the dark side offering what little aid it could by uselessly cocooning its energies about her. Still in her figurative box, the water was now moving past her mouth… nose… eyes… to cover her completely.

    Leda, the last thing she could do, threw back her head and screamed, a wave of Force energy vaulting outward from her in all directions.

    And that was all.

    Everything went blank, the pain, the agony, the voice of the Dark Lady.... gone.

    Leda was on her knees, the temple gone, another scene before her, a familiar Sith Temple setting. The dark sunset sky of the homeworld of the Knights of Darkness, in the background. A familiar figure in front of her, facing away, it’s attention having previously been on something else, but now drawn and aware of Leda’s presence.

    ‘What are you doing here?’ It was Draconis’ voice, not Mrrthing... but actually what she remembered as her Master’s.

    The echoes of her scream still ringing in her ears, Leda gasped for air and nearly choked as she was brought back from an unfeeling void, registering what she was now seeing and feeling. Or rather, not feeling.

    Hands flew up to her face, her touch recognizing her own features with audible relief. And her mind, there was nothing inside her that shouldn’t be. Her own thoughts, memories and ideas.

    Just hers.

    She was whole again! But how?

    Next her widening eyes swept her surroundings, nearly laughing at the absurdity of it. She knew this place well.

    She was home. Again, how?!

    Her eyes narrowed and her face tightened suddenly, the realization dawning on her. There was really only one reasonable explanation for the change in events and it put her right back on edge – this wasn’t real.

    Finally taking note of the figure before her when he spoke, his voice was intimately familiar to her and Leda shot up to her feet. Suspicion and doubt colored her face and her stance, preparing for attack or deceit. Or both. Her former Master was the most cunning man she had ever met, after all.

    Draconis.

    She was still there, as this was not real and merely a projection of what she felt and that of her Master, though a very real mind meld. Despite the setting not being real it truly was Draconis and they could both see each other.

    “Why do you ask? Surprised to see me?”

    Her retort was forceful and dripping with simmering rage. Leda’s hands had balled into fists at her side, her knuckles white as the skin stretched over the bones.

    Alive?

    Her anger, passion, and vitriol were palpable.Understandably after having been put through what she had experienced. Draconis was facing away from her, staring out at the landscape of their Academies homeworld. The simple splendor and beauty in stark contrast to the depths of hell, Leda had seen and been to. A long breath as the words of his apprentice hung in his mind. His demeanor a bit somber, not unlike what Leda may have seen before from her Master. A weakness? Disappointment? Or genuine concern? It was easy for a master to throw apprentices into the fire, cast them aside as pawns. Some of this was true, but a Master’s design carried on in those most strong and worthy of what they could offer and pass on, with the most promise and potential. An investment, cultivated, spurred on, and nurtured. For many purposes, selfish and otherwise, choosing those again most worthy and always most importantly those capable of being able to do such to begin with.

    Was Leda such? He had thought so…

    Draconis head remained upright taking in the view as he seemed to be meditating himself. Legs spread slightly with his arms clasped behind his back, another deep long breath.

    ‘Surprised?’ Draconis stated in response to Leda’s inquiry about her arrival. His tone clam and even.

    ‘Yes.’ Draconis’ tone was even more somber as his head turned to the side, his chin down as he spoke the single word. Clenching his fist together, writhing them slightly as he pulled in another deep breath, a sigh, turning back for a moment to take in the view again. The peaceful serene scene from the high balcony of one of the Dark Sith Academies grand towers was deceiving. Draconis knew what this meant, what was or had transpired. His head came about again to the side, leading the turn of his body as he twisted to the side to see her more clearly. Addressing his apprentice. His tone continuing to be somber and searching for something.

    ‘If you are here…’ Draconis briefly paused.

    ‘,then that means she has consumed my apprentice and you are no more.’

    Fully turning now, Draconis had a look of disappointment about him, not directed at Leda, but himself. Too soon! She was strong, but sending her there… a mistake? Everything had been in place.

    ‘And it is finished…’

    Leda only grew more irate at his cryptic answer, having had enough of Draconis’ games. She would not be toyed with any longer.

    What? she pressed urgently, stepping in closer to him with hate in her eyes. Looking up, she searched the face of her former master – or a projection of him, rather. It was still unclear what was real and what was little more than her mind showing her something in its final moments of awareness. Regardless, a very tangible fear rippled up her spine as his words echoed in her ears, diffusing her anger.

    Consumed. No more. Finished.

    “I was… fighting. I was fighting and I was losing….” she whispered evenly, mostly to herself as her gaze became unfocused and her sight moved inward. She again peered at her hands, bringing them up before her to examine.

    “Did I… have I lost?”

    Draconis remained still in the face of Leda’s growing rage and her approach towards him.

    ‘Are you giving up?’

    One by one her fingers curled into her palms, her hands returning to clenched fists. In response to his question – taken as an accusation – Leda’s rage resurfaced in force.

    “I never give up,” she snarled, her eyes still cast downward.

    It was a true statement; the warrior always gave all she had and fought until the last. Still, standing where she was and knowing all she had experienced, she was unsure what more could be done. Had it not been enough? Or did she possess more power than she was aware?

    Turning away from Draconis, she walked a few paces to the side to look upon the familiar sight of her home. She longed for it, but Leda knew that it was beyond her reach now. She took a deep breath and spoke directly to the Ebon Knight close by.

    “I do not know what more I can do.”

    Draconis kept a keen eye on his Apprentice as she turned turned away, watching as she turned the events and situations over in her mind. Her will to never give up was what had drawn him to her, the deep burning flame that would not be extinguished. When face with a situation such as this even the strongest doubted themselves and what could be done. This was something that would need to be short lived for her. She had to keep fighting and not give in and allow herself to be extinguished. Her declaration of not knowing what more she could do, while disheartening was expected. No because of weakness, nor lack of passion, or skill. But because of approach. Summed up in her Draconis’ next words.

    “Currently nothing.”

    His words would sting with a hopelessness and finality of the impending doom before her, she was slipping away. While she retained some semblance of her consciousness for this moment, back in the hell she had left it was all drawing to and end for her.

    “Because you are playing her game.”

    He knew that Leda had a disdain and even hatred for all this doublespeak, implying, and cryptic nature. Giving her the answers served no purpose, afforded her no growth, and ascension beyond herself. If she still saw him as her Master, then perhaps she would heed his words. Draconis felt like he had not spoken with his Apprentice in forever, a void grown and visible between them. Still salvageable, workable, and useful?

    He still thought such. Leda had been fighting a stacked deck, against an opponent even Draconis would find overpowering.

    “Are you more powerful?” Draconis asked the questions, referring to his Apprentice’s prowess and strength. Strong and unfettered, growing and evolving.

    “Yes you are!” Draconis confidently spoke. Pridefully towards her.

    “Are you powerful enough to defeat your enemy by overpowering her?”

    “No.”

    Draconis took a step forward, his hands still behind his back. The long dress robes, fluttering at the base ever slightly in the imaginary breeze of the mind meld.

    “Your will to fight and never give up.”

    “It is a passion and drive not equaled.”

    “But there is still a lesson to be perhaps learned.”

    Draconis knew all of this was moving fast, at a breakneck speed. Everything had turned so quickly, and now she found herself at death’s doorstep. While they spoke, the light in Leda was fading.

    “Don’t mistake giving up, with admitting defeat.”

    “A cunning and astute warrior knows when they are outmatched. Even one filled with pride and confidence can recognize when to pull back or pull away.”

    Draconis took another step forward as he spoke, confident she would hear them, though wondering if she was receptive. Draconis knew she felt betrayed lied to, forgotten, deceived. Yet all of this was part of molding her, showing her that she could rise further even in the face of her own annihilation when things seemed darkest and hopeless.

    “Choosing another path, another angle of attack. Is what must be recognized and done at times on a small and large scale.”

    “You have been fighting a game in which you were already destined to lose.” It was a game that her opponent had power over, one that she controlled and manipulated. The visions, the lies, and deception. Herding Leda like a lamb to slaughter. Draconis hoped his words were beginning to resonate and be heard. He knew how much hatred and vitriol she harbored for him currently. It was all the sum parts of her strength, she had to feed on it, but do so smartly.

    “What is it she want from you? So badly?”

    “Me,” she responded mechanically. “She wants my body as a new vessel for her soul.” The warrior curled her lip in disgust and gazed down at herself briefly, a fire burning within at the outrage that someone else should have control over what was so rightfully hers. It was no one else’s to take.

    She turned back to Draconis, studying him intently and chewing on what he had told her, as her Master. Could she trust him anymore? Could she truly believe that any of what came out of his mouth was for her benefit more than his own? He had started her on this path after all, pushed her there even, and this end result was as much of his own making as hers.

    Still, there was an undeniable pull he had over her, Leda’s constant desire and yearning to learn and grow from the best. He was the best, his knowledge endless and his power unmatched.

    Betrayal was a fickle beast, however; Easy to master but impossible to let go of.

    She sighed and shook her head, her eyes growing heavy. It was getting more difficult to think and piece together her final moments of sanity. Time was slipping away…

    “Instead of fighting directly, you are saying I should give in to her and thwart her from within? Attempt to use her own tactic against her?”

    The one who pursued her was after her mind and body, having discovered that that she would not give up so easily, it was clear that the body was being secured without further delay, to prevent complications.

    ‘That and remove what she wants so badly from the board.’

    Draconis shifted only slightly as they both continued to study each other, even in this vision their body language was a manifestation of their minds showing clues to each other. Draconis knew the idea of removing herself from the board might seem vague, how could she do that? And to what end?

    ‘Where is your guide?’

    Draconis asked the question as if knowing Leda would understand whom he was referring to, just then a large rumble was heard. Distorted sounding as it echo through the vision and scene they held together. Resonating as if all around them but not of the world they stood in. Something outside. A thunderous thud and slamming, as if a battering ram pouding a castle keep. There was no time left. Leda’s mind was being battered and assaulted as their moment of clarity and reprieve was coming to a quick end poised to slam her back into the previous hell.

    ‘She needs you, do not let her have YOU!’ Draconis’ voice was more stern elevated at the idea that their vision was collapsing. The surrounding scene even began to fall apart as if an earthquake was crumbling the structure around them. ‘Her link to you, her desire to have you is her weakness!’

    Remove… what she wants?”

    Leda struggled to analyze the words and their implications amid the collapsing landscape that surrounded her. She knew what Draconis was saying beneath the surface and she understood, but the very idea of it frightened her to the core. She stood rigid, her heart racing as if suddenly realizing the end was near.

    “I need… to die…” she whispered, fearing saying the words aloud would end her right then and there. “The only way… she cannot have what she wants, is for me to… die.”

    Her uniquely colored eyes went wide as she stared at her Master, her vision blurring at the edges so that he was all that was in focus, almost pleading for him to give her another alternative. Deep down, Leda knew there wasn’t one.

    The realization was there, he saw it in her face with the mindscape collapsing still around them. The darkside exacted a heavy price from those who tread this path. She came in search of power, strength, and ascendance, yet her will to survive and how truly strong that is, was all that mattered now. Many dabbled in the waters of darkness, staying to the shallows. Unwilling or incapable of truly giving themselves over fully. Failing to have the will to commit oneself fully.

    Anger was easy... rage was common… pain was natural… malice second nature… passion though burning was fickle… peace a lie… victory a fleeting memory… betrayal… expected.

    Dedication in the utmost was paramount… Sacrifice always demanded… ultimately being consumed by the darkness, inevitable.

    The darkside was a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural. Capable of things beyond understanding, limited only by an being’s inability to push beyond such.

    Draconis watched as his Apprentice faded from his vision. The reckoning before her was demanding everything of her, demanding payment in full. Her survival was in her hands. Then she was gone. The fading last light from the twilight sun cast an dramatic pattern of colors in the ever growing darker sky. Draconis stood in his chambers of the high tower of one of the Sith Imperial Citadels, home to the Knights of Darkness, silently facing where his Apprentice had just faded from. No final words of wisdom or markers of strength. Just knowledge of her will. Simply waiting.

    Her Master disappeared as the rest of the temple went with him, the reality of her situation slamming back into her mind and body with an abruptly painful certainty. Leda was back in the crypt, the Dark One still chipping away at the last remaining strands of her sanity.

    But she knew now what must be done.

    Without allowing another moment to pass, one more second that threatened to be her last, Leda began to scramble forward a few feet on her hands and knees. She felt as though she were moving against an intensely strong current, fighting for every inch of progress she made across the stone ground. Finally nearing what she sought, the apprentice swiped up the broken spear that one of the desire demons had wielded, rocking back and shoving the sharp weapon straight into her chest with intent to pierce her heart – and with her last dregs of strength to do so swiftly before her attacker knew what she wished to accomplish.

    She shrieked as the blade plunged deep, a modicum of relief washing over her. If she must die to keep herself from the clutches of another, then so be it.

    Leda’s eyes, the one’s taken from her would grow deadly focused, their blood red color came to a fiery focus as through her eyes the Dark one was brought back to the scrap of Leda she thought she had purged. Her vessel was marked and sacrificed. The real pain of the penetrating blade was felt by Liyah as she lurched back, consequently now growing more aware of the feeling of herself again Leda captured by Liyah, Liyah captured by Leda moving as one and feeling each others pain. The physical pain of it was something unexpected and so foreignly forgotten to the Dark one that it sent shockwaves through her. Millennia of absence from such feeling rushed through Liyah as she contorted, causing Leda to do so as well. The Dark one spoke, moving to manipulate her one last time seeing that she was moving against her once more. ‘You Leda… YOU... removed the two obstacles keeping me here… Draconis and the horde he brought…’ The admission was a vain attempt to seduce her. ‘You can have all the power you desire!’ The enticing voice of before held hints of struggle, doubt, and desperation. “I can give it to you!’

    ‘Don’t fight me Leda!’ Liyah’s eyes, Leda’s eyes... frantically searched for meaning and focus.

    ‘Fight her…’ a strange voice broke through, the raspy and high pitched voice that of her guide.

    ‘Fight…’

    Leda screamed amidst the struggle, rage apparent in every inch of her features. The agony radiating out from her self-inflicted wound was enough to send her into the numbed bliss of unconsciousness, but she hung on with all she had in order to respond.

    “I have everything I need,” she spat back at the ancient being inside her, finally realizing her own limitless strength, her ability to do what must be done. “You having nothing to give me that I don’t already possess.”

    With that, she latched onto the Force with such power that the stones broke apart and fractured beneath her knees. In her mind’s eye, she saw the currents of the dark side swirl about, tightening around her like a protective shell. She gritted her teeth as an unseen wind whipped at her hair and the torn shreds of her robes, increasing in speed as she continued to press in on herself.

    Tendrils of darkness pierced her, clawing and reaching for the foreign invader that was trying to make her body its new home. It was excruciating, as if her insides were being scorched and ripped apart in its effort to attack the Dark One. She felt her fight every step of the way, but still she continued until there was nothing left to push against.

    With one last ragged breath, her chest stained red with her own blood, Leda collapsed backwards and her head lolled to the side. A trickle of crimson dripped from her lips as her eyes become unseeing and unknowing, the apprentice’s life seemingly evaporating into the Force.

    The trail of blood leading to the black pool, one of the demanding features of this dark place, was not hers… entirely. The frail dark form of the creature bound to this hellish place struggled reaching back with one arm and clasping Leda with what strength he had left. Lurching with a grunt to pull her body forward as he had done over and over after her act. The pace had been slow, struggling taking a long time to move only a number of meters. The pool was a place of pure evil, beyond the darkness most knew. A million souls swarmed in its depths which were not limited to its physical size. A blackness which absorbed all, exuding a stinging venom which coursed through one’s soul. Mrrthing already almost laying completely prone and without anymore to give on the floor next to the pool, released Leda as she was now within arms length of it. An outreached arm allowing her fingers to dip into it, if she only managed to do so. ‘LEDA.’ Her name would ring in her mind, spoken by her Master in earnest, screamed to wake her, remind and jostle her will.

    There was nothingness for a time, how long she couldn’t be certain. But ever so softly she heard her name out in the void, starting as a whisper and growing into a howl.

    Leda’s eyes fluttered, her vision somehow returning and honing in on the face of the skeletal creature she had impaled what seemed like ages ago – her guide. It said nothing to her as she could instantly tell it was dying, if it hadn’t already. Join the club, she thought absently, unable to focus on the thing’s health as an unnatural chill ran from her fingertips into her chest, piercing her wound anew. She couldn’t even yell against the pain, as its depth was enough to silence her. Rolling over onto her side, she was aware she had been moved, and it was immediately clear that the intrusive presence of Lady Liyah was…. Gone.

    How was she still living? How was any of this possible?

    Lifting her head, she saw the lip of the black pool and her arm leaning over its edge. Her fingers swam against the surface and as she moved them the wave of cold torment she had felt a moment earlier repeated. And yet, she felt a pull to reach deeper, something telling her that what she would find would be worth the pain she would surely endure.

    Pulling herself up while straining to breath, wheezing coughs interrupting the air that her lungs strained to find, she shoved her hand down to her elbow. Leda nearly passed out again, the fire of agony gripping her completely. Still she pushed further, now almost to her shoulder. As she wondered whether she would need to enter the pool fully and how she would possibly survive that ordeal, her fingers grazed upon something solid and she latched onto the mysterious object like a lifeline.

    Yanking herself free of the black waters and the pain it wrought, she pulled back and clutched what she had found to her stomach. More blood sprayed from her mouth as she coughed and looked down, brow furrowing as she realized her new possession was some sort of blade, old and ornate.

    The lurking spirit of the Dark one, Lady Liyah, moved about the temple from shadow to shadow... like a frantically pacing malicious lover intent on malice. Her phantom red eyes ravenously looking upon the struggling Leda, looking to devour her for her dire insolence and refusal of all of this. Having been wretched from her new vessel and form, cast out by Leda’s act. Liyah’s body still lying prone and where it laid before next to the altar, was motionless as her spirit struggled to find its way again. Eying Leda, she hovered high above fixated and set like a stalking viper intent on seizing upon and finishing off her prey. That fool Mrrthing, somehow still alive, had tried to aid her. Now he laid in his last moments a few more breaths away from his end, only an arms length from Leda bleeding out next to the black pool.

    Intent on finishing this now, the ancient one had no intention of allowing for more surprises. Drifting in and out of the shadows above, she came into view, though Leda’s back was still turned rummaging and digging through the black pool. What was kept hidden within answered only to one and that was her, the Lady of Mongrel! ‘Foolish child!’ She muttered and sneered, and her teeth flashed as she began to descend rapidly, a swooping dive upon Leda’s turned back. She would take her time even more this time and let the the foolish girl suffer beyond her understanding, she would consumed her slowly allowing for her insolence to be punished fully and beyond. Nearly upon her, the Lady reached out with her dagger like claws set skewer Leda, her mouth opened teeth razor sharp teeth and fangs exposed poised to latch onto Leda.

    Leda knew she was still there, lingering pointlessly. The apprentice felt fear no more, only a resolute focus because there was only one certainty at this point; Lady Liyah’s time was over.

    As the spectre-like form of the Dark One shot down upon her, the intent to kill plainly clear, the heavily injured Knight of Darkness turned onto her back and thrust the mysterious blade upwards. She had no clue how she had pulled the weapon free from the agonizing black waters of the pool next to her, but as soon as she had wrapped her fingers upon its hilt she had felt its power and sensed its purpose. She knew.

    This was how it would end.

    The wispy nature of her foe came to an abrupt halt to hover just above the fallen warrior, shock coating her features as both women cast their gazes down. There, in the direct center of Liyah’s chest was the blade, impaling her with its full length. As they returned their eyes to each other, gruesome claws raked Leda’s cheeks as the ancient being shrieked in simultaneous surprise and rage. A fresh pain washed over her face, the wounds deepening while reality set in but was quickly lost in the numbing sensation that had gripped most of her torn body by now. The only thing keeping her conscious was the rapidly draining visage of her captor, her tormentor. As her essence began to lessen and weaken, Leda clung to the other’s escalating fear and panic, her alluring beauty fading in and out as a sun sets and rises, flashes of a time long gone mingling with the present.

    And then, Liyah’s ghost form was gone. Everything that had tempted Leda and had kept her hypnotized to remain in this vast deception, vanished. The pull of her power, the tantalizing promise of her knowledge, the lustful nature of her physicality… it affected the young woman no more.

    Here, at the last, she was finally free.

    Her body gave out and fell limp against the cold stone ground, the mysterious dagger clattering to her side as it was released from her grip. Her eyes began to grow heavy and her breathing became shallow and quick. I had to die, she managed to assemble in her thoughts, a flicker of a smirk tugging at the corner of her blood-splattered lips. Well, it’s happening…

    Not having the strength to keep her head upright, it hung to the side and allowed her to see the husk of a corpse still collapsed nearby. It was that of her former Master - though she would suppose now that Liyah had never truly been her Master. And as Leda watched the bones crumble into a silvery ash, blowing away into nothingness by an unseen wind, she understood then that there had only ever been one teacher that she needed and only one that had taught her how to survive, how to become more than she could dream to be; Draconis.

    “Bastard,” she whispered hoarsely, though without true disdain. This had been her final test to mark her worthiness for ascension… and she had passed.

    Taking one more moment to appreciate that simple yet monumental truth, Leda took a shuddering breath, her eyes finally sliding closed and the world around her fading to black.


    ~Afterward~


    The familiar warmth of the homeworld of the Knights of Darkness sun, would bath her in warmth once again. Resting in a medical bed in an open room, facing a large opening giving a vast view of the landscape surrounding the Citadel and Temple of the Knights of Darkness. A medical droid attended to her, a simple IV in her arm and some monitoring nodes hooked up to devices next to her bedside beeped softly indicating certain vital signs. This was the end of the more extensive therapy and healing, as bacta treatments and surgeries had been immediately and further ordered as needed to aid in the recovery of the prized Knight. Draconis stood nearby watching her, as he had done many a time throughout the whole Trial and her recovery, and he would certainly not leave her side now. It might have all seemed like a dream, unworldly, unfathomable. The experiences and depths to which she rose, descended and went back and forth between. What good was a Master that did not push someone beyond their breaking point? What good was a Trial if not to go beyond the sheer understanding of one’s own self. If he had succeeded? Well then, he knew it would be his end. Perhaps…

    They were what they grew beyond… Draconis knew the adage to be true, even if it had been spoken by… he shook the thought from his mind and looked upon her resting. If he was smart he would end it now…

    Approaching her, Draconis walked slowly to the bed while pulling an item wrapped in a faded brown leather from his robes, bound with a single loose sting to keep the whole of it from unfurling. He took only a moment of satisfaction in her ascendance. It was the charge of all Apprentices to eclipse their Masters. For every Master it was a sense of pride, satisfaction, and fulfillment, but also one of readiness, angst, and yearning. For those found unworthy were culled and cut down quickly, those who continued to ascend were due their place in due time. She would come for him in time, as expected, as wanted, and as desired and designed.

    Draconis placed the wrapped item at Leda’s side, a sword of ancient origins. A reminder of her trial. Verification that what she had gone through was not a dream. The Trial of Darth Leda. Knight of Darkness.

    ~fin

    @dragonsith13
     
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