He lost all breath, but then suddenly, it seemed to cool. What in the hells? Must be that sith's magic. But I didn't know they could do that.

"Where am I?"

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Slowly, Ragorian's spirit stirred from its long, despondant sleep that it had fallen into. After Rykounagin had been trapped in the strange...other space that Graysith had imprisioned him in, Ragorian had despaired, feeling his last chance at reincarnation had been abruptly severed, and had slowly slipped into a comatose state of mind, attempting to not give heed to the silence, stillness, and darkness that threatened to once again suffocate his very being. Now, for an unknown reason, he had awaken from that slumber. Clearing the layer of haze that had settled upon him with sleep, Ragorian searched for what had awoken him, called him back to his conciousness.

After a moment, he discerned that some mind had called out to him, albeit faintly, awakening him from his slumber of sorts. But...that was impossible. The only true mind he was linked to now was Rykounagin's and, last time he had checked, the lad had been trapped in Graysith's prison, visions from his hidden past haunting his being. Curious, Ragorian opened his link with the human, searching for why he had called him.

Moments later, Ragorian was wide awake and exuberently taking in all the information he could garner from the boy's senses. Impossible as it was, it seemed Rykounagin had escaped from his otherwordly prison and back into the safety and freedom of this dimension, though how he had managed it, Ragorian could not fathom.

What untapped powers does this young one have? Ragorian mused, remembering the odd runes that covered the boy, for he had sensed deep magicks within them, and within the lad himself. But how did he access them, after all this time? They were incomprehensible to me, and he remembered nothing of them. What happened to him while he was imprisioned?

Ragorian put aside his interests for the moment, feeling that he should respond to the call that had awoken him, for he had many questions he wished answered. Opening his link to the other's mind, Ragorian spoke to him along it once more.

Rykoungain? Are you well?

Stopping suddenly, Ragorian considered his query and found that, to his surprise, it seemed he was feeling actual concern for the boy's well-being. Which seemed impossible, since Ragorian had never felt any concern for another being before. Putting aside these feelings, Ragorian continued speaking to Rykounagin.

How did you manage to escape that...prison you were trapped in he asked, trying to keep his amazment at the task out of his voice. And...where are we now?

Falling silent to let the lad answer, Ragorian marveled at the turn his luck had taken. Fate, it seemed was on his side today. Though faint as it was, his hope for resurrection had been restored.

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But whose magicks, and to what purpose--?

He frowned further, then drew completely back from Rykounagin and folded his hands inside the flowing sleeves of his robes. Upon his chest, a tattoo of his own office was aburst, unseen beneath the folds of cloth but clearly felt by him.

What is this strangeness? he again asked in a pointed and entirely mental attempt at communication.

Aloud he merely replied, "Rest easy.

For what good is a clan if they cannot stand alone on their own merit?

"As I have spoken before, am I to perform your task for you? Have you nothing between your ears? You are assassin, and assassin is synonymous with cunning; have you departed from your cult, then, as something beneath the notice of their eyes and the acceptance of their kin?"

I let the accompanying snort whisper along those mysterious passways, directly into the mind, soul and very cells of the recipient. Even from this distance I can feel him shudder slightly; I smile.

"She deals in things of the Sith; she has been made the Dark Lady of the Warriors. There are four major Sith worlds to which she might travel, Khar Delba being one of them.

"Which, of course, you should know...."

I pause briefly, letting my words settle around his brain like a hunting dianoga, curled patiently there yet ever poised to move.

Time ticks on....

"Follow your own instincts, assassin; use your own skills. This is, after all, why I charged you with this task.

"And-- approach me no more. This grows tedious in the extreme; I expect no further contact from you until that moment you stride back into this Great Temple of the Sorcerer's with her head on a platter."

With that I silence, but leave that small mental touch within the mind of he who called out to me as a child to its mother. In this manner, I shall not lose contact with him, and through him of the pair of assassins and their progress along the trail I have set before them.

[ 08-25-2004 04:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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He managed to catch, "-is this strangeness?" He wondered, it was a voice different from his masters. Mayhaps it is this sith before me.
I know not of what you speak. If you speak of my thoughts, it is none of your concern, though of the markings I do not know.

He then spoke aloud. "Where is Graysith?"

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Ragorian returned the majority of his concious thought to the sword that still contained his vessel, lying as if discarded on a cave floor back upon the planet of K'eel Doba, where Rykounagin had left him. At the moment, he had his own plan to consider.

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There is yet something here.... he thought to himself, careful to not direct this comment to Rykounagin or what he suspected to be another entity somehow incorporated into his mentality.

What it is, and what it wants, I know not; this is of concern.

He then allowed his unspoken works free leave to enter Rykounagin's mind again.

"Impressive, human. I find it surprising that you have this capability within you.

"Are you of the Jedi Order?"

A dark shadow swooped down to carry that last query into the neurons of Rykounagin's brain; how well this Master knew of the fate of the Armorer's and their kin on Koris'ian.

At least the majority of them are safe here with us on Khar Delba, he couldn't help but think before he finally responded aloud to Rykounagin's final question.

"Hardly. I serve no false prophets and their lackeys." He then vocally responded to the next question.'

"Graysith is known as the Dark Lady, last I saw her or anything else, she was on Keel Doba. When I find her, I'll...."

He had begun to speak a threat upon graysith's life, but he felt a gentle nudge in the back of his mind, and he cut short. I have to keep my objectives upon my masters quest.

"I'll ask again, and I ask this time for a more direct answer. Where am I? And who is your master?"

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...that you would know of such matters of the Sith....

The Healer didn't let any of that finishing and unspoken statement slip from him, but kept a firm and iron-fisted mental control upon himself.

Outwardly, he let a soothing smile spread across his face.

"You are on Khar Delba, in the Temple of the Sorcerers, among the Sith," he answered smoothly.

"And as for my so-called 'Master,' why..."

He trailed again, shifting his weight a bit.

"I have to speak with him. Not to be rude..." He almost sneered, "But I have more important things than your queries and prodding."

He tried to get up, but then seeing the healer and other sith, decided that he may want to get permission to leave first.

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Hot-headed and unthinking is this one, he commented to himself as his eyes darkened to the twilight's hue.

And very sure of himself; undoubtedly with some supportive reason. For only a fool would think not.

He stiffened, sending a disapproving glare right back into Rykounagin's eyes.

"It would appear that you are the one issuing all the 'queries and proddings,' human," he finally said, a touch of oil coming into his voice.

"You would do well to remember exactly where you are... not to mention the fact that you are alive because we were kind enough to administer healings upon your body to that effect."

He rose to his feet and stared down at Rykounagin.

"I shall approach the Dark Lord and offer up your... request for audience. It is, of course, none of my doing as to whom he speaks, and when."

He was willing to have bet that he'd toed the line of reason in that sith's mind, and that he'd probably made some sort of presumption. Well, I'm not going to sit here and wait for their stupid policies and proceedures to hold me back.

He moved as if to get out of the bed, and stood up, and began walking towards the exit the healer had taken. Now to test my theory.

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Yet here the quandary was, plopped right into their laps.

The smaller of the pair remained where he was, shooting an uncomfortable look back and forth between his companion and Rykounagin's back. The other one, the one who had summoned the Healer in the first place, let this be so for a pregnant moment or two; then he leapt to his feet.

"Sir!" he cried, coming up behind Rykounagin.

"You cannot-- you mustn't; Sir! Where do you intend to go? The Healer goes in your stead--"

He reached back and grabbed the sith's arm and twisted violently. Not concerned for his own discomfort as he turned it a near 300 degrees.

He then kicked back with a foot and felt it connect with some part of the sith. The let go and began running towards the exit, the sith's shouts ringing behind him as he heard footsteps come to pursue. I don't have time for this.

He came around the corner, and kept going. Ignoring the bewildered stares of sith in the corridor behind him. I have to find Aelvedaar, and get back on my missions track.

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That was enough to prod the younger into action. He flashed to the other's side, and knelt next to him.

"I shall not let this one leave us, brother!" he cried out, eyes beginning now to blaze with what he was rapidly seeing as righteous retribution owed to the human, and dealt out by himself. He leapt back to his feet and was in the act of leaving when his brother's strained voice came to his ears.

"No, remember who and what we are... what you are. Remember the teachings...."

The young Sith paused and turned, now looking down to where the other's hand lay grasping his ankle, bidding him not leave. Two pairs of eyes met... and the younger let his anger leave him in a puff of exhaled air.

"You are right, as usual," he admitted as he plopped down cross-legged beside the other.

"Thank you; whatever would I do without your wisdom, my brother?"

Unspoken agreement passed between the two budding sorcerers then, and after a brief moment in which both struggled to bring wildly beating heart and surging pain under control, they finally both discovered the inner composure needed to attend to the matter as they should.

They closed their eyes, and sent out a cry for help. Their powers were not yet focused enough to arrow directly into the senses of the Guardians of the Temple; thus the cry was sent out in a flaring and general blanket for anyone to pick up on.

The Sith who had moments before stood about in shocked surprise as Rykounagin burst through them now acted accordingly. Widened eyes narrowed, general hue and cry erupted, and at length the Guardians of the Temple arrived, their weapons gleaming in the light of the flickering wall sconces. They were quickly informed of the direction of the rapidly disappearing Rykounagin, then took off in hot pursuit of him.

Their own magicks led them to him as if they were following a map; it didn't take long for eight of the powerful and highly trained Guardians to move quickly and lithely about the man, ringing him with their spears and swords. The most senior of the group raised a hand, palm out, and with a light magick touch sent Rykounagin to his knees as easily as if he had physically picked him up and then placed him there.

The circle grew smaller as they tightened it about Rykounagin, waiting while the leader sent out a mental call to their Lord.

As he lay there, he stared up at the beautiful architecture of the cieling, and had a moment of appriciation for these people. As he lay there waiting, almost ignoring their words as they spoke and whispered about him, he had to wonder. Am I to live my life not knowing who I am, or living in an eddie of life, stuck in the swirling but never moving space. Or will an opportunity pull me back into the true flow of the river?

Mayhaps he would never know, he thought as he lay there. The faint sound of aproaching fate growing louder as it approached.

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Rykounagin. What's going on?

Not waiting for a response for his first query, he launched into another one.

Is your life in any danger? And do you require my assistance?

Silently sighing again, Raogiran continued to observe the boy's situation, searching for the way he could best help the boy out of this predicament.

--------------------

He tried to move, but the magick was still in effect.

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They merely waited, and were indeed prepared to wait a lifetime in the attitude they presented.

Their speartips did not quaver in the slightest. Never once did their focus leave Rykounagin's form.

The minutes lengthened into an hour.

And dripped over into another.

A rustle of clothing was heard as one shifted his weight slightly; then all was quiet as they turned themselves into stone, giving their Lord all the homage due his station simply by waiting as they were, the rash young human held amidst them.

If he chose to reply to this miniscule incident, so be it. If not...

They were, after all, prepared to wait until they literally dropped in their tracks from hunger or thirst.

The second hour began approaching a third...

Focusing on the shard the boy held with him, Ragorian allowed some of his magick to flow through it and into Rykounagin, countering the weakening magick the other Sith had placed on him, and filling his limbs with much more than their usual strength and vigour, an aid to the boy's already-impressive capabilites in hopes that it would allow him to escape the soldiers.

Be careful, Rykounagin, he warned. You will not be able to fight all of them. Try not to anger them furthur, at least until you've found out what they want with you. Save this strength until then, if you can. I will be watching.

[ 09-01-2004 03:43 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Blade of Chaos ]

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"We are summoned," he said flatly, then nudged Rykounagin with his spear, taking care not to injure him as he used the flat of the blade to prod him to his feet.

The human, not in the slightest bit restrained by their magick, and indeed never having been, rose to his feet and began walking in the direction the Sith's opened ring aimed him. The cadence of their combined footsteps marched against the stones as he was escorted down one corridor into another, finally coming to a halt in front of an impressively carved and bejewelled set of double doors.

They slid open in front of the standing group like the maw of some great and fearful beast.

The Sith wasted no time, but prodded Rykounagin through the door.

It would do me good to watch this one, who comes here for--?

"Who are you, and how did you come here?"

He jerks in surprise as I step forth from the shadows to address him face to face. I let my gaze sweep over him, studying him, assessing him.

There is something...other about him, easily picked up by my innate magicks.

I frown, and raise a hand, palm out.

He grunts and jerks, and a small shard of something leaps forth from him, coming to rest against the flat of my hand.

I close clawed fingers about it, feeling the surging power, the warmth....

"Why have you come to Khar Delba?" I ask, and slide my fisted hand into the sleeve of my opposite arm.

[ 09-01-2004 04:25 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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After a moment of examination, it became clear that Rykounagin no longer held the shard of the blade, Ragorian's vessel, that had been given into his possesion. Someone else had taken it.

No, not just someone, Ragorian mused to himself. A Sith.

Excited though he was at contact again with his lost people, Ragorian remained cautious. It took only seconds of examining the Sith to gather that he was one of great power, more than a match for Ragorian in his worn out state, and more than likely too strong for Ragorian at the peak of his power. Rembering his humiliation at Graysith's hands, Ragorian avoided contact with this new entity, surmising that he would simply be eliminated if he attempted to take possession of this Sith.

Instead, he retreated farther back from the faint link between him and the sorceror, refraining from scrutinizing him furthur, and warily decided to watch the events play out before him.

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