CHAPTER 7

As the sun rose Eden walked into the ship and grabbed a glass of water. She looked around and Shard was tying her shoes. Shard look up and almost cracked a smile before finishing her knots.

"Ready?" Anakin asked and Eden nodded. Blair and Shard walked out of the ship with them and the pairs walked off in different directions.

Anakin lead the way through eh ferns down hill to where possible water could be found and Blair led the way towards were the city should be.

"How far do you think?" den asked as they almost jogged down the gradually steeper hill.

"Don't tell me that your feet hurt already," Anakin laughed and Eden shook her head.

"Not yet" Eden ran to catch up to him. Anakin slipped on something and slid down the wet grass. Eden laughed but soon found herself with the same fate. They tumbled down the hill over ferns and bushes until the hill finished, Eden landed beside Anakin.

"Crap" Anakin sat up and Eden laughed. "This is funny?" he snapped and she nodded laughing harder.

"You looked so funny when you fell" she curled up in a ball as he stood up to storm off and fell over again. Eden laughed harder with tears of laughter building in her eyes.

"Hey look" Eden wiped her tears away to see a dark blue lake beside them. It was impossible to se below ten feet fore the water was navy blue almost black.

"Still game?" Anakin asked and Eden nodded taking out her air piece.

"You bet" she slipped it in her mouth walking into the water. Anakin followed diving under before her.

The water was thicker than usual as Eden snapped a flare from her belt. She held it in front her face swimming deeper into the murky water. Anakin snapped a flare also and swam just behind her.

Anakin looked at his wristband on his metal hand. It read: 27.3 feet. His cloak began to pull back and became heavier but her kept swimming ignoring it.

Eden pushed herself forward as it was becoming darker and harder to swim. She looked back and saw Anakin almost beside her and she kept going. She now felt as if she were trying to push through mud, as it was almost completely black except for their flares.

Eden pulled her arms back again and her mouthpiece shattered. She spat the metal pieces out and turned around. Anakin's had shattered as well she panicked a bit as the water pulled her downwards.

It was so heavy as she fought to try and make it to the surface. She could see that Anakin was trying to do the same but was sinking like her.

An irresistible urge to breath was crushing her ribs as she almost cried tying not to breathe. Her ribs drew tighter and she coughed allowing valuable air bubbles to escape.

Eden felt herself give in and it was one of the scariest feeling ever. She allowed herself to draw in a deep breath of the thick water and she coughed again spitting a mixture of mucus and saliva into the water.

The water filled her lungs and she felt heavier expecting darkness to shroud her and consume her. but nothing happened. She could feel her ears twitching as she breathed again taking more water in.

Anakin thrashed about in front of her and she kicked harder than ever to reach him coughing out the water. He stopped moving and almost became suspended in the water.

She grabbed his robes and prayed that this would work. She pressed her lips onto his and breathed hard into his mouth. His eyes looked around and met hers. He tried to push her away thinking that she would drown from helping him and she shook her head hitting him as her foot hit something hard.

Eden looked down at her feet and saw a metal plate. She pushed her hand on what felt like a bending glass. She pushed harder and it consumed her arm. She grabbed Anakin's robes tightly and pulled him in with her.

They both collapsed onto the plates as air surrounded them in a dome. Eden vomited water again and felt as if she were drowning again. Anakin hit her on the back and she spat out the last of the water.

"Are you stupid? You could have drowned!" Anakin shouted at her wrapping his arm around her as she held her head low.

"I think I already did," she whispered as they were surrounded.

"Get up" the scaly soldiers ordered and they both stood up.

"Move!" they were ordered and they walked through the halls.

Wherever they were it was well hidden because you couldn't see into it but you could see out. The bubble like halls and domes were glowing from hovering lights.

Anakin was shoved into on corner and Eden was in the next as the soldiers pressed their hands to a plate. They were suddenly enclosed in an almost cage like box made from what looked like the place was made out of.

"Great" Anakin moaned drawing his light saber and striking it into the wall. The transparent wall bend like watery glass and went straight again.

"It's no use," Eden said shaking her head. She coughed again clearing her throat and sat down. They both sat in silence for a while until Anakin spoke.

"Why did you do that?" he finally asked and Eden sighed.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"You could have drowned," he snapped and she sat upright.

"I did! Twice!" she screamed at him, it sounded ridiculous but it was true.

"You can't drown twice" he snapped.

"Well I did"

"How?" he rolled his eyes looking sarcastically intrigued.

"I gave up and breathed in water. I don't know how but I could still breath in the water" she answered quietly.

"That is once" he said unconvinced.

"Then when we came in here I felt as if I were drowning again. It hurt to breath air again, like I had never done it before" Anakin looked at her and his face went straight.

"Really?" he asked and she nodded. "But why did you save me?"

"Would you have done the same?" she asked as a woman who walked into the dome they were in interrupted them. She had pricked elf ears and her skin was a metallic silver colour. She looked curious but sad. Her eyes were a deep purple and she gazed from Anakin to Eden.

"How did you get here?" she asked surprised.

"We swam" Anakin snapped standing up, Eden stayed down.

"Curious, somehow I don't think you can get this far even with breathers" she said walking over to Anakin and reaching her hand through the glass. Somehow she could push through it.

The woman's hand became a swirl of silver water that wrapped around Anakin. He struggled unsuccessful as she looked behind his ears. She stepped backwards and released him. He pushed hard on the glass but got nowhere as it only bent a little forwards.

"Things are built better these days," Eden said and she walked over to her pushing through the glass.

"Don't," Eden snapped and she looked at her strangely.

"I wont hurt you" she reached her hand up to Eden and Eden stepped back.

"I don't want you to do that to me" Eden said sternly and the woman's eyes slanted and her hand turned into the grey water. Eden lent on the glass hard and fell backwards through it scampering across the floor to Anakin.

"What." Anakin was confused. Eden didn't even try to get out that hard.

Eden drew out her light saber and the woman stole it easily from her with her water hand and threw it across the floor.

"Please" she pleaded.

"What are you looking for?" Eden snapped.

"Something behind your ears. Answers" Eden touched the back of her ears under her hair and felt the scars.

"Tell me answers and I'll show you my ears" Eden demanded.

"I will tell you this, get off this planet" her voice was almost like a snakes hissing tongue.

"Why?" Eden asked.

"It is dangerous." she started and saw that the two Jedi were still demanding answers through expressions. "Have you ever heard of Shadow Kahn?"

"No" Anakin shook his head and Eden stared at her.

"They are ancient warriors once called upon to serve evil lords to reek their havoc and destruction on the worlds. They were bred here on Xax Tsorath like bugs becoming a grand army for the lords. Eventually the Shadow Kahn became restless and broke free of their chains destroying all who ever commanded them and forcing us into the water" she began taking a breath and continuing.

"Only half of our city were saved, the rest couldn't fit into the ship and were murdered on the surface" she finished and Eden now felt the sadness coming from the woman.

"Are they still being bred in the city?" Anakin asked and the woman shrugged.

"I don't think so, but yes it is possible," she answered.

"Are they still alive?" Eden asked.

"The best word is dormant, they are sleeping, waiting for their prey. They know your hear and will hunt you. Skillfully hiding in the shadows they will stalk you and you will suffer the same fate" she sighed and Eden's heart raced.

"Let us go, our friends are in the city," Eden pleaded.

"I cant, you must go through a trail" she said.

"Let us go" Eden waved her hand in front of her.

"I can't"

"Let us go" Eden waved her hand again.

"I can't!" the woman cried out and Eden sighed. "Your trial will be in an hour" she closed the door with her hand on the plate and left.

"Give me your arm" Eden pulled Anakin through the glass.

"I am so confused right now," he said and Eden nodded picking up her light saber.

"Me too, come on we have to get to the city," she said pushing her hand on the plate. It opened and let them through.

"How do you do that?" Anakin asked.

"I have no idea," Eden said looking around frantically.

"You're starting to scare me now" he said.

"I am starting to scare myself," she said and they ran down the hall quietly.