One by one.

"Come, my Son!"

The cry would be deafened by the approach of the dampening flame-tendrils, but I will brook no delay. I too have darkness within, for Sith I am who has witnessed the death of all...

...but Sorcerer am I as well. While this place is new to me, a place I have never before admitted myself, I know of the insidious manner in which it protects itself by launching subtle attacks against would-be interlopers.

These are not Sith. They would be viewed as thus.

Grasping Aeylmaar's hand in my own, I raise the other high. He mimicks me, claws outspread, one foot forward, the other acting as a brace. Together we stand, mirroring each other, calling forth the guardian tendrils to seep into us, we who can withstand them, that the might of the Flame would stand open and vulnerable to query.

"Now!"

My cry echoes from the rock surrounding us.

"Quickly, whilst we hold back the dark! Break yourselves free and bid it show us where the pair have been taken!"

[ 11-02-2005 10:40 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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I shivered, raised a hand to my face, rubbed it to ward off that evil, then took another look at Panthar. Suddenly he looked like someone with concern written all over his big, red face: concern for the pair who had been yanked so unexpectedly from us.

I shook my head again, trying to clear it, then turned back to the urn. Within its cold, orate depths the Flame moved and writhed, the motion somehow seductive, beckoning.

Those dark tendrils crept closer.

The winds picked up a notch.

Something within me seemed to rear its head, ears pricked in interest. A responding growl began to build within me, but not one founded upon unthinking madness.

"Show me my sister."

Without realizing quite how I had gotten there I suddenly found myself standing directly in front of that urn, one hand actually laying upon the icy-hot stones of it. Fed by the dancing fires it held, that strange sensation crept along my arm, following veins and nerves, reaching upward, upward, leaving a widening trail of black in its wake.

I shivered again, now feeling a responsive warmth pop into existence from-- somewhere. It seemed to growl, reached out, engaging the darkness, letting it creep through me but yet at the same time diminishing its overwhelming capabilities.

A little part of me nodded calmly in recognition. Funny, that.

Aelvedaar and Aeylmaar...

Unconsciously bolsterd by the inner armor which had developed so unexpectedly within me, I let every muscle in my body go loose, every defensive wall I had placed within me falling in an incorporeal heap.

The icy-hot flashed through me. It flowed to my extremeties, through my torso, reaching upward, moving smoothly up my neck...

There, a sudden image. In my mind's eye:

A dark and dismal place, rife with gibbering shadows. Two shadows of deeper black stand, close yet aloof from one another. One, larger in circumference, is lower than the other, which stands like some silent, cylindrical monolith, as if in quiet contemplation of the other...

Knowledge flooded through me, and I shuddered with the effort to bring myself back to the mundane reality of our impossible surroundings.

"I-- I have them -- at least I think it's them," I whispered hoarsely, striving to maintain that delicate balance between letting the weird sensation continue showing me its dark miracle, and losing myself to it.

The responding tendrils of warmth seem to flare a bit.

"Wh-what do we do now?"

[ 11-15-2005 09:33 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Shayla had always been the strong one, the driven one. He didn't know if he had enough Force-abilities to be of any help...

...but then, what if he did? And how could he be sure unless he tried?

I need to find Shayla...

In response, images danced before his eyes, within the flame. He didn't know if anyone else could see what he now did: he saw darkness, but a vague place none the less. In fact, it was so vague...

Erik gasped. "They are not far," he managed, stil locked in, now seeing an identical image to that which Galen had already been seeing, although he was not aware of that. No, they weren't far...

...he could feel it...

"Can't...we open a portal and go to them, now that we have strong links to their location?" he queried, falling silent, the image of the Flame still flickering in his brown eyes.

[ 11-03-2005 10:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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There must be great anger in her, or else...

"Yes," I state calmly, coming forward now.

"Keep the image strong in your mind, we shall use your combined strengths to guide the direction in which I shall place a Portal."

Nothing further needs be said. I close my eyes now, reaching out with my own considerable powers, feeling that of my adopted Son's joining with mine as together we simply rend the fabric of that which is around us...

I open my eyes to see a tear in the fabric of space and time. Something black and noisome glints deeply within it.

"Come, my friends, there is little time to be lost. We go to the enemy, now!"

With that I step forward with Aeylmaar, leaving him at the portal to guide the others through while I go first to pave the way against what foulness we shall most certainly find on the other side.

[ 11-03-2005 10:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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Panthar sprang to his feet, grabbing the knife in hand as did so. He slid the power on and strode quickly towards the portal. The glow from the blade cast its own shadows on the ground beneath him.

“I’m on it,” he said, looking directly into the portal. He stepped through and fanned to the left, preparing the knife to slice through anything that moved towards him. He saw through the corner of his eye someone else sep through the portal, but he continued to scan the room. The two imps were still standing where he envisioned them, although the smaller had begun moving to the far wall. His eyes darted to the spot he saw in his vision where the doorway was forming, and there now stood a man-sized being of living blackness. Its skin seemed to roil and crawl about the body, as if it were made of boiling pitch. Two large black shapes that could have been horns jutted from its head. The thing stood, staring with red glowing eyes.

“Where is she?” Panthar cried out. He winced and called out again. “And Phalomir, tell me now!”

The thing seemed to smile, a sickly pale opening for a mouth spreading wide across the blackness of a head. It held up a hand, palm out towards Panthar, and made a small gesture. Panthar felt like a rancor had slammed into his chest, and he flew backwards at blinding speed towards the wall. He hit the strange material hard, embedding his back into it. He struggled to free himself, but he was somehow stuck into the wall.

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

In that moment of relief, his thoughts turned quickly to the situation. Both Roan and the Master were here, and what if this was a trap of some sort? His heart raced with that thought, and his eye widened. He fought with his dry throat and tried to make a word form through his parched lips.

“Ro-,” he struggled. “Ro— Mast—“

Frustrated, he stopped trying to speak. Instead, he focused his eye on Jharmeen and felt for the link that they once shared, and he hoped still existed. He knew there must be something, all through his ordeal he felt her with him, giving him something to cling to while his life was drained from him. Feeling for her, he concentrated his thoughts.

Roan, the Master, they are here.

[ 11-04-2005 11:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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"Oh dearses..." He murmured, fading away to flit to a corner and sit in the shadows, watching almost fearfully but with an odd delight.

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

...but then paused suddenly as a darkness slammed into his senses, as well as did the knowledge that Shayla's essence wasn't anywhere to be found. He turned back, his eyes wide, looking to the others. "I can't sense Shayla anymore," he said honestly. "But there is something very, very dark. And Panthar..."

He trailed, sensing shock and panick from within the portal. "...has walked right into it, and is in trouble," he finished, finally stepping into the portal only to find Panthar stuck into the wall, struggling to get away from it. Erik frowned and came to the other man, albeit a bit uncertainly after the way he had been acting. He tried to help pull him out of the wall...

...but Panthar didn't budge.

Come on, Erik, a little voice that seemed to sound more and more like his wife prompted, You can do something about this, you're a force user.

Agreeing at least soemwhat, Erik returned his attentions to Panthar, stretched out to the Force, and gave him another pull. Before he knew it Panthar popped lose, and they began rolling. Once they stopped, Erik found himself on the weird non-ground of the place, looking directly at some tarlike black creature with horns...

He did a double take. "The Master..." he whispered under his voice, concern already flooding him, and not for his own sake...

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

Even now the others come, but for now, rest and heal, my love. We are safe, for the moment.

She raised a hand for the brief moment it took to trace one finger down the planes of his face, then returned all her energies toward knitting torn skin and bone, and replenishing lost blood.

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

Well, duh. It WAS the Darker Realms, after all.

For a brief moment, the entire situation overwhelmed him. And then he firmed, his blue eyes now pinning Aeylmaar.

"Well, he's in trouble...What the kriffing hell are we waiting for?!? I might be an ex-smuggler with zero Force abilities, but I know if all else fails having a group of people at your side in a crisis at least somewhat lessens the odds. And that's all the time for strategy that I've got right now."

Then he turned to Galen, his blue eyes suddenly concerned, intense. "You don't have to do this," he told her, "But know that if you step in there, I'll be with you. And I intend on coming right back out with you, too..."

[ 11-05-2005 06:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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...and being nearly knocked over as Jasyn began blazing forward only to be tripped up by Matt. Matt grabbed him by the shirt, unsteadying him and causing him to have to stop moving to check his balance.

"Wait a minute there, pal," Matt then interjected. "Booze adrenaline be damned, I suggest you go in last with him. You remember...? The ship?"

For a moment Jasyn frowned, so Matt kept his green eyes on his friend, the look in them almost readable. Jasyn took the hint. Stepping back next to Aeylmaar, he struggled to stay in place as Matt stepped forward once again, this time heading directly to the portal.

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

Then I turned to look at the Portal, shuddering.

The Master... Roan. It was more than likely that at least one, if not both, lay on the other side of that rip in reality. It was quite possible that we were too late, that my sister and Shayla and the stalwart Jedi and Panthar were at this moment dead, killed by the pair. It was closer to probability that the rest of us would more than likely suffer the same fate.

I pursed my lips, my eyes darkening.

But we had to try... or Darra would never be safe again. There were two magickal Sith with us, both All users. Somehow I knew that Lord Aelvedaar was hale and whole, though he had already gone through the portal. Then there was that weird spot of whatever that seemed to be in me, too. It wasn't something I could access.

But maybe others could. Who was I to keep this slight bit of ammunition from the hands of those who might be able to use it? Besides--

I had to know what had happened on the other side of that rift.

"I- I'm ready when you are," I gulped.

Then before I could change my mind I took a deep breath, took a running start, and leaped through the opening...

...coming to a skidding landing in what seemed to be a dark and dismal room. Dank stone walls echoed my entrance in a disturbingly mushy manner, my feet seemed to want to stick to whatever foulness it was that beslimed the floor.

I wrinkled my nostrils with distaste, and took a quick glance around. My eyes slammed into the tangle of Erik and Panthar off to one side, of a strangely familiar lump of non-ness which took center stage...

...and came to a crashing halt against a tall, bipedal blob of black.

I took an instinctive step backwards, even though the thing didn't move. Neither did the squat lump of non-ness.

"What in Hell's Seven Circles is going on here?" I asked of no one in particular.

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

...and was just taking in the "sights" when Galen took a step backwards, bumping into him. His thoughts were along the same lines as the query she now voiced.

Oh kriffing hell, what IS going on? Something ugly, no doubt...

"They must be...waiting for something..." Terrin muttered under his breath, his internal defenses raising a notch as the adreline began to flow just in case it would be needed...

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

"I hope it wasn't us they were waiting for..."

I let that trail, holding my breath to see if it provoked anything.

Nope, nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I allowed myself to breathe then, and took a hesitant step toward the squat black. Even though I knew Terrin recognized it, I didn't know about the others in the party.

"Take a care not to touch that; it's a chronotic shield. I'm not exactly sure of how it works, but anything that touches it, matter or energy...

"...well, just isn't anymore."

I paused, chewing my lip thoughtfully. A quick glance up to the Blob revealed that it had two red eyes. They stared balefully out at me, but as of yet the thing didn't move so much as a millimeter. If looks could kill, though--

"I think Jharmeen and Shayla are under there."

I nodded toward the black lump.

"If that's true, they're probably safe."

I brightened at a sudden thought, now glancing about our surroundings with a bit more care. It didn't take long to find Lord Aelvedaar, standing silent and strong and somehow very, very certain of something.

Well... that's how it looked to me, at any rate. Like he wasn't too concerned about our circumstances.

At least for the moment.

Another breath sneaked in, out of my lungs. I turned back to Terrin, though every so often I shot a glance back at the red-eyed Blob.

"Doesn't seem like there's much to rescue from anything, does it?" I whispered. A hand shot to my lips then as with a great effort I strove to stifle the sudden series of giggles that began to flutter about in my chest, seeking escape.

[ 11-05-2005 10:17 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

Oh, not the image of the red-eyed monstrosity preparing to cast Panthar into certain death.

Nope.

It was the image of myself, as if seen from afar, running and leaping and grabbing onto Panthar's flailing hand with a desperation born out of...

Well, out of sheer desperation.

"Hey!" I hollered, unthinking, I really didn't want to think. But somebody had to do something, anything, if only to provide enough time-stalling distraction to where Big Red might find the sense enough to fight back on his own.

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

Oh heck, he’s going to throw me! That’s a pain I can do without.

Panthar then realized that something was gripping his hand, something warm and-- human. He glanced over to see who or what it was, and saw Galen's strangely calm face.

That was enough. No way was he going to let Galen be dragged into this, and no way was he going to let her be one up on him in the life-saving department.

Not only that, but she had a firm grip on his injured hand, and it hurt like hell!

With his good hand he jabbed out and grabbed the closest thing he could reach, which happened to be one of the black horns protruding from the black head. He fought against the revulsion the oozing substance on the horn gave him, and gripped as tightly as he could. The thing below him howled, and a bit of the blackness began to seep over onto Panthar’s hand.

His injured hand slipped through Gslen's as the thing pushed forward, trying to throw Panthar. His grip on the horn held and Panthar tumbled to the floor in front of the beast, bringing the thing’s head down with him until it lost its balance and fell to its knees. Panthar quickly let go and rolled away to the wall.

He looked down at his hand where blisters were forming on his palm. He looked frantically over to Galen and Aelvedaar.

“What is this thing? And where are Gray, Shayla, and Phal? Do we HAVE to fight this thing?”

[ 11-06-2005 03:55 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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Roan had him, and she had lunged at Roan, exchanging herself for him. Now, he didn't know what the Big Blob had in mind, but he refused to let something like that happen again.

Just as he got to the Blob, he saw a blur that looked like Galen and Panthar roll past him, back towards where everyone else was. Meanwhile, BB groaned then roared, a monstorous hand holding the horn Panthar had been hanging on to as he then began to straighten back up. But he was still leaning over, just enough, and directed a smouldering red glare Terrin's way...
Awww, kriffing hell...

As the big thing continued to direct its red eyes Terrin's way, as if pondering just what he could do with him, adenaline fueled the sucker punch Terrin delivered right into the creature's gut. As his fist made solid contact, Terrin grimaced at the creepy feeling he got from touching the black substance the Blob was made of. Letting go of his horn, the thing grabbed first at his midsection, which was right about at Terrin's eye level. Terrin scrambled back to where the others were before BB could recover fully.

"Ok," he panted, "Maybe attack isn't such a good idea. Can we put one of those... things... around the Blob?" he queried, pointing at the smaller black blob that they thought contained Shayla and Jharmeen. Then he added, "You know, with them hiding out in that thing, not moving, I wonder if they're healing someone or something...

...could Phalomir be with them?"

[ 11-06-2005 12:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Erik now frowned, concern now fueling his thoughts.

One of the people in that shield was the person he loved more than life itself, and sooner or later, she would have to come out of there...

...so yes, they did have to fight this big boy.

"And I swear to you, that is the Master," he commented. "I can feel it. We have to do something..."

And you were almost a Jedi, Erik Kartan. Above all else, YOU should be able to do something yourself...

...but what? You were never very good...

Erik cut off the thought, now determined.

For Shayla.

Before he was consciously aware, Erik raised a hand, first closed. Then he opened it, extending fingers quickly sending a great ball of Force towards who he thought was the Master, much to his surprise. Even as he stumbled back, Erik sure hoped that Aelvedaar would do something, anything, to aid them at the moment, or they would all be in deep poodoo.

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

Coming to a halt on my hands and knees, I looked up in time to see Terrin lay into the big blobby biped, followed soon thereafter by the thing flying backward in response to a tremendous Jedi Force shove.

My jaw dropped, my eyes slid momentarily to Erik.

Wow. I didn't know he had it in him...

Then I went to join the others, who were split between eyeing the squat black nothingness on the floor and warily juking about in front of the fallen Blob. It lay on the floor, glaring at us with those hideous red eyes.

A dim little bulb popped on over my head.

"Ummm... guys," I said slowly, careful to not let my gaze drop from those twin red fires.

"Has anyone noticed the decidedly, ahh-- ineffectual attack methods this- this thing is using? I mean, if that is the Master in there -- which I think it is too -- then why isn't he just whammying us all? Maybe he's in a bit of a sticky wicket himself, ya think?

"I mean, sheesh, trying to throw Big Red over there..."

I stopped, my eyes widening as another, horrid thought hit home.

"Hey Big Guy, you all right?"

After all, they had made physical contact. As had--

My eyes widened even further.

"You ok too, Terrin?" I asked, sidling over to stand next to him so I could scrutinize him more closely. After giving him a quick once-over (he did seem to look ok, at least!)) I called out a bit louder.

"Hey, your Lordship, a little help here, wouldja? I mean, yeah, can't you put up some kind of block around this thing until whatever in Hell's Seven Circles is going on underneath that--"

I nodded toward the squat, black lump.

"--gets finished?"

[ 11-08-2005 03:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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I smile as from behind there comes a gasp.

"Father, you must teach me this method--"

I merely smile a bit more, then approach the others who have congregated carefully around the first chronotic shield.

"We are safe, at least for the moment, but we must not forget where we are, and who it is that lives in this dark place."

With that I fall into silence, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my robes, silently bidding the pair beneath the shield to hurry with their healing, that the shield could then be dropped and we ourselves bid this terrible realm adieu.

[ 11-08-2005 03:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Hell no had he forgotten who wss here...

"I'm fine," he replied to Galen. "But the Blob reminds me of..."

He frowned more deeply, not liking where he was headed, "...of those damn Sith demons. I don't seem to remember the Master looking that way at all before...

...think he's in the process of assimilating some sort of new power?"

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

...but since when did he have the Force-ability to actually knock it over? Heck, he wasn't even a full-fledged Jedi...

...but then, he'd never liked how the Jedi always hesitated on using their abilities until push came to shove and there was no other choice.

And dammit, that thing was just waiting for Shayla, Graysith, and possibly Phalomir to come out of that chronotic shield. No way could he just stand around while it happened...

Realizing the others were talking, Erik blinked, clearing the fog from his mind and his eyes. Aelvedaar's last words registered in his mind, along with Terrin's. "Ummm...maybe he's somehow not in a position to attack us? Or maybe he's simply waiting for something better..."

Erik's voice trailed, and his eyes wandered to the squat blob as he finished his statement.

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

He pulled his hand away from his back and looked at the bandages. Once again soaked with violet blood, he took them off and ripped another shred from his ruined robe. He looked at the wound to make sure there was nothing major in the way of infection. He wiped away a bit of dirt, then reached for a darker bit of something. A stab of pain in his hand made him wince once again, and when he reopened his eyes the dark bit was gone.

He wrapped the new bandage around his hand and tied it tightly.

“So what can we do, just sit around and wait for someone to pop their head out? Can’t we go in there with them?”

[ 11-09-2005 09:42 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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