The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 54
The Sandstorm
The embers of last night's fire spat as it began to die away. Red, hot, glowing coals in the warm morning air. The sun had yet to rise over the vast sand sea that was Plegia's northern wastes. It would be a few hours before the heat became unbearable. Which meant it was time for Ben and his friends to rise and travel as far as they could through the sand dunes until the heat forced them into the shade of their tents.
Ben awoke first, as always. He rarely slept well. Nightmares still plagued his fitful nights. Every night was a new battle he relieved. Last night it was the Battle of Christophsis. One of the very first major conflicts in the Clone War. He and Anakin barely managed to pull out a victory on that world. Even then, the victory was temporary. The planet remained mired in conflict for most of the bloody, galaxy wide war. Despite the Jedi's best efforts to drive the Separatists from that portion of the galaxy.
It was also the place where he met Ahsoka Tano for the first time. The snippy Jedi Learner that became Anakin's Padawan on that battlefield. She grew so powerful during the course of the war. She was destined to become a very wise and powerful Jedi Knight. Anakin was always so proud of her.
Ben let out a sad sigh. Then the little one left. The result of a decision by the Jedi Council that Ben deeply regretted. He wondered how the little Togruta was faring. Was she alive? Did she survive Order 66? Or did the clones under her command on Mandalore betray her as well? He hoped not. Ben could not bear to think of someone as kind and fun loving as Ahsoka as a victim of the Empire's bloody first strike. Another body to add to the overwhelming number of dead Jedi.
He shook his head. Enough of that. If he dwelled on such things it would put him in a sour mood. Well, he was already in a bad mood. They all were back in the desert after all. He began to align with Gaius' point of view. Deserts were the worst places to be. If he was allowed to hate a climate, then this would be it. The heat scorched any exposed skin. But it also made wearing any protective clothing suffocating. Sand got everwhere whenever he walked through the dunes. This place was as unpleasant as any Ben had ever been. Tatooine included.
Ben rose and nudged Robin awake. The tactician mumbled beneath the book that covered his face. He fell asleep reading again. Another nudge from Ben's boot shook his friend from his sleepy state.
"Good morning." Robin yawned as he pulled the book from his face and stretched his arms over his head.
"Studying last night?" Ben asked as he stoked the fire. Someone had to cook breakfast after all. And the smell of bacon was the only thing that would rouse Gaius.
Robin brushed some hair from his face, "Yes actually. I'm trying to perfect Bolgannone. Anna was not wrong when she said it was a complex spell."
"You managed to cast it back in Regna Ferox." Ben muttered as he yanked a skillet out from the back of Anna's cart and set it up over the rekindled fire.
He placed some raw strips of bacon on the hot skillet and sat back as the meat sizzled. Moments like this made Ben extremely glad they befriended the red haired merchant. The amount of supplies she had in her cart boggled the mind. Sealed jars of preserved food made cooking a simple job. And she had some sort of potion in stock that was able to keep even raw meat preserved for long periods of time. Potions that were much too expensive for Ben's pocketbook, according to Anna.
"Yeah, but only one time." Robin noted, "And it took a great deal of effort. I want to get to where I can cast a spell like that without even having to think about it. And that requires brushing up on magical theory. Courtesy of the spell book written back when I didn't have amnesia."
Ben smirked a little. He sniffed the air. He could already feel his mouth watering. This world had such good food. It may be backwards when it came to technology, but the cuisine more than made up for the lack of convenience.
"How is that coming anyways?" Ben asked.
"Hm? My amnesia?" Robin sighed, "Nothing still. I'm beginning to think that I might never trigger any memories. Perhaps I am destined to never remember anything and only recall the life I began back in Southtown all those months ago."
Ben chuckled, "Since when do you believe in destiny?"
"Never." Robin snorted, "But, who knows. It could happen."
Gaius poked his head out from his own tent. The red head's hair was splayed in all different directions. He sniffed the air and sighed.
"Bacon." He moaned as he sniffed the air.
The thief's mouth watered as he trudged through the sand and over to the small fire.
"It's almost ready." Ben chuckled as the sleepy thief flopped down beside the fire.
"I'll go wake the others." Robin said.
There was a loud noise from the back of Anna's cart. Both Ben and Robin craned their heads. Anna came flying out of the back. A bright smile already on her face. She stretched her arms high over her head and let out a happy sigh.
"One down." Ben muttered, making Robin chuckle.
"Good morning!" Anna said in a sing song voice.
"Morning." Gaius mumbled as he grabbed a plate and took some bacon from the skillet.
"You seem rather chipper this morning." Ben noted as he passed a plate over to Anna.
The shopkeeper smiled, "I have a good feeling about today. That is why."
"Why's that?" Gaius mumbled.
Panne emerged from her tent. The Taguel stretched out and sat down beside Gaius. The thief passed her a plate then munched on his own bacon.
"Because, I just do." Anna replied. She took a bite of her breakfast, chewed, then swallowed, "We are pretty close to a popular caravan route. Maybe we will find my sister out this way."
"Correction." Laurent appeared and sat down next to Robin, "This was a popular caravan route before the war with Ylisse. Since it has become quite abandoned. As can be seen by the lack of evidence for any other encampments in the area."
"Quit being such a downer, Specs." Gaius groaned, "Anna just got my spirits up for getting out of this damn desert soon and you had to dash them."
"I don't recall words being capable of destroying hopes and dreams so easily." Laurent rubbed his chin, "Interesting…"
"Ever heard the old expression: Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me?" Donnel asked the Scholar as he took his own seat around the fire.
"I don't think so? I believe I can derive the meaning though. The proverb you mentioned clearly states that-"
"It's bullshit." Gaius snarked, "Words can hurt. It is best if you learn how to ignore them though. This is good bacon, Ben."
"Thank you." Ben nodded back. He took a glance at the eastern horizon. A faint orange glow began to drift higher into the pale, purple sky, "We're running out of time. Is Tharja almost up?"
"Do you wanna try and wake up the crazy dark mage?" Gaius snorted, "Be my guest. But don't blame me if she turns you into a toad."
Ben sighed and shook his head. The thief still held a bit of an irrational fear towards Tharja. A fear that probably would never go away. He grew up in Plegia. Witnessed the atrocities of the Grimleal first hand. While he doubted Gaius feared Tharja, he feared the people she once allied with. And that was enough to stoke some rather strong feelings. Even though Tharja had done nothing to warrant such fear.
Well… there was that one time where Donnel accidentally walked up to a stream she was bathing in. It took both Ben and Robin's interference to save his life that time. And the way she brutally dealt with enemies on the battlefield. And… Ben sighed. Maybe Gaius's feelings did have some merit. Tharja could be rather intimidating. Ben had just managed to get past that very prickly exterior to the point where she did not outright threaten him at all. He was not on the receiving end of her dark musings.
Which made him the perfect person to try and wake up the slumbering mage.
He stood outside of Tharja's tent and took a deep breath.
"Tharja, it's time to wake up."
No answer.
Ben glanced back at the others. Robin gave him a thumbs up, then quickly averted his eyes. Gaius scooted so that Panne blocked the path between him and Tharja's tent. Anna watched with bated breath. And Donnel looked pale as he waited anxiously. The only one that did not appear nervous was Laurent. He was too busy reading his notes from the previous night.
Ben tapped his knuckles on the tent pole.
"Tharja."
A small, incoherent grumble slipped from the tent. Donnel shot across the campfire and took shelter behind Robin. The tactician gave Tharja's tent a wary glance but kept his own composure.
Ben rolled his eyes.
"If we don't get moving, it'll get too hot for us to travel."
No answer again.
"I think she might be dead." Gaius called over to Ben, "And as my good friend Reg always told me: 'It is best not to wake the dead.'"
To Gaius's horror and the others shock, Ben ignored the thief's warning and surged into Tharja's tent.
There was a scuffle. A sharp cry of pain. A sudden poof of purple smoke. The tent's small doorway flew open. Ben emerged with a raging Tharja thrown over his shoulder.
"PUT ME DOWN AND LET ME SLEEP!" Tharja roared as she struggled against his surprisingly strong grip.
"No time." Ben huffed before setting her gently down beside the campfire, "Eat up. You'll need your strength."
Tharja gave Ben a dark glare. She then noticed the quivering plate held out to her by Robin. The dark mage flicked her furious eyes up at the tactician. He did his best to hide fear, but he was wise enough to know that the dark mage was pissed. Her pale hands snatched the plate from him and she wordlessly picked at her breakfast.
Ben took his seat on the other side of Robin. He smiled a little then popped another piece of bacon into his mouth. He was about to ask why everyone was so quiet. That was when he realized everyone was staring at him.
Gaius looked completely dumbfounded. His jaw hung open. Panne actually had to reach over and close it for him. Anna uttered a nervous laugh then averted her own stunned gaze from Ben. Donnel had a look that bounced between utter terror and complete amazement.
Robin leaned close to Ben.
"You are the only one that will ever get away with something like that." He whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
"Why do you think I did it?" Ben smirked back, "How is the food, Tharja?"
A blast of purple magic slammed into Ben's jaw. The swordsman flew backwards. He wound up sprawled out flat on his back. Completely dazed.
"I guess not." Robin shrugged.
"She heard you." Ben replied with a weak groan.
Laughter filled their little campsite. And to Ben's own amazement, he saw Tharja snickering a little as well. She picked some more at her food and remained mostly silent save for a few small chuckles. The swordsman picked himself up from the sand, brushed a few loose grains from his cloak, and returned to his seat beside Robin.
"So?" Robin asked, "East? West? North? Or south?"
Anna raised her hand, "I vote south!"
Robin arched an eyebrow as he looked across the camp at her, "That was a quick decision. Why south?"
Anna pointed at something beyond Robin. At that moment, Ben saw some fear rush into Anna's eyes. Ben furrowed his brow and rotated along with Robin in order to look at what Anna was pointing at.
It was massive. A towering, dark wall on the horizon. And it grew larger by the second. Ben's heart started to race. Gaius jumped to his feet, completely alert now.
"SANDSTORM!"
Tharja flew into action. She raced back to her tent and retrieved her spell book. Anna scrambled to gather up her cookware. But Gaius grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards the cart.
"No time! That thing will be on top of us in minutes!"
"Do you have any idea how expensive that skillet is!?"
"I'll steal another for you!" Gaius roared, "But that requires us to not be buried alive! Benny, Bubbles, let's go!"
"Everyone into the cart!" Robin ordered.
They all piled into the back of Anna's cart. No one cared about her merchandise stacked in the back. That stuff did not matter anymore.
Once everyone was aboard, Anna snapped the reins. Her horse bucked and charged south. The cart rumbled and rocked through the sand. The steed did everything in its power to outrun the storm. But when Ben glanced back, he saw that the sandstorm gaining on them.
"Offload stuff!" Ben barked.
"What!?" Anna cried, "Let's not get too hasty back there!"
Panne chucked a heavy crate full of bronze daggers out of the cart.
"You're gonna pay for that!" Anna roared.
"We need to lighten the load so that your horse can actually pull us!" Ben shouted back.
Anna glanced back at the storm as well. Her eyes widened as she realized how close the storm was to swallowing all of them.
"The bronze stuff only!"
"You heard the lady." Gaius said as he grabbed several bronze axes and threw them out into the desert.
The sandstorm roared behind them. The noise was enormous. A constant crashing sound like ocean waves slamming into solid rock. The wind raged around the cart. Threatening to hoist the thing up off of the ground and fling it right into the storm's waiting jaws. Anna snapped the reins again.
"Faster girl!" Anna called to her trusted horse.
"It's gonna eat us." Gaius trembled.
Tharja peered forward into the distance. Her pale finger shot out.
"Village to the right!" She screamed.
Anna yanked on the reins. The horse whinnied and took off in that direction. Soon the sand dunes became hard, rocky ground. The cart bounced high as it hit several large rocks. Tharja gasped and lost her balance. The dark mage tumbled out of the cart just as they neared the village.
"Tharja!" Ben jumped from the cart.
"Benny!" Gaius shouted.
Robin was about to jump after them, but the thief stopped him.
"No! Not you too." Gaius barked as he held the tactician back.
"They'll be buried alive! We have to-"
"If you go too that leaves me in charge. We both don't want that." Gaius pointed out.
A loud curse erupted from Robin's lips. He stared in horror as Ben pulled Tharja to her feet. They sprinted after the cart. But they were too slow. The sandstorm engulfed them. The pair disappeared from view as Anna careened the cart into town.
"Stables on the left." Laurent's calm voice rose above the sandstorm's massive roar.
Sand shot past the cart as Anna banked hard into a sheltered, sandstone alcove that sat beside a large hut near the center of the village. She jumped down from the cart and shielded her face with her arm. She undid the yoke on her horse and pulled the terrified beast into the building. The other Shepherds rushed in after her.
Donnel slammed the door shut behind them. Once he did, he sank down to the floor. His chest heaved up and down. Sweat caked his dirty face.
"No more sand, please." The farm boy gasped, "I'll gladly shuck corn over running from that."
Gaius spat some sand from his lips. He shook his head. Flinging a cloud of dust around him. Panne scratched some sand from her ears. Laurent wiped off his spectacles with a small rag. Robin and Anna latched any windows they found before finally sinking down to the floor as well.
Once they all caught their breath, Robin uttered a loud curse and slammed his hand into the wall behind him. Startling everyone else.
"We left them." Robin said bitterly. He took a deep breath. Trying his best to force back tears.
Gaius swallowed hard, "We had no choice. If we stopped all of us would be out there right now."
Donnel cringed as he heard large blasts of sand slamming into the stone structure around them. Gaius nodded at the farm boy.
"It'll only get worse. Once the wind picks up enough, that sand will move fast enough to shred flesh from your body." Gaius took a deep breath, "Oh gods…" He buried his head in his hands and shuddered.
Panne's ears drooped, "Y-you don't mean to say Ben and Tharja are-"
Gaius sniffled and nodded. He wiped some tears from his cheeks.
"It'll be a miracle if they survive."
"We gotta go find em then!" Donnel cried.
"That is not possible at the moment." Laurent said somberly, "The sand is too thick and storm too furious. We won't be able to see our own hands in front of our faces if we walked out there. Not to mention death by sand blasting. It is not a pleasant end." He sighed, "We will have to wait it out. Once the storm passes, we can search for them."
Anna gulped, "Or… what's left of them."
Robin surged to his feet, "They are not dead!"
The tactician stormed out of the hut's common room and into one of the smaller rooms that branched off from it. Anna bit her lip and moved to go apologize, but Gaius stopped her.
"Let him cool down and catch his breath. Bubbles will start thinking clearly in a few minutes." Gaius swallowed hard and took another shaky breath, "Guess I better start praying to those gods I don't believe in huh?"
Donnel gave him a grim nod. Panne curled up on the floor and remained silent. The thief gave her a small, comforting rub on her shoulder before letting out a long sigh.
"Rest for now you guys. As soon as this storm is over, we will go searching for Benny and Sunshine."
The wind howled around Tharja. Sand whipped up from the ground all around her. She thought she was dead. As soon as she hit the ground behind the cart and rolled to a stop, she felt tremendous terror in her. This was how it was going to end for her. Consumed by the desert sands of her homeland. Honestly, it was an ending she had considered but never thought would actually happen. And she did not want it to happen. She was not ready to die.
Her terror mounted when she saw Ben leap down from the cart and race to where she fell. What was he doing? The fool was going to get himself killed! Now instead of just her dying, he would die as well. What good did that serve anyone? She wanted to scream at the stubborn oaf. But the storm was close. It drowned out any other sound.
Ben's hands gripped her wrist and he yanked her to her feet. Both stumbled just as the they turned to race to town. Tharja saw Ben's eyes widen as he looked back to see the storm's jaws ready to consume them. To Tharja's surprise, he did not leave her. He grabbed her, held her close, and tensed.
Tharja squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the end. Waited to choke to death on the very land she had been born in. The sand slammed into both of them. Bit into their skin and drew some blood. Ben let out a loud cry and suddenly, the sand stopped blasting into both of them. Tharja did not even have time to open her eyes before he yanked her in the direction of the village.
They stumbled through the growing piles of sand. They already rose to Tharja's knees. In minutes they would be buried alive. She gulped and clung to Ben. Whatever he was doing to keep the storm at bay was working. But she could feel his breaths leaving his lungs in ragged gasps. The power he tapped into was exhausting him. If they did not find shelter soon, it would be all over.
Vague shapes formed around both of them. The outlines of sandstone hut. Ben pulled her in the direction of the closest one. They slammed into the sandstone wall. Tharja felt several grains of sand break through whatever barrier Ben had in place. Desperately, they clawed around the hut until they found the door. Ben shoved it in and pushed Tharja into the shelter first. As soon as she fell inside of the dark hut, Ben gasped. His barrier fell and sand blasted into his back.
He winced and stumbled forward. With what little strength he had left, Ben managed to defeat the raging winds and close the door. He latched it and collapsed against the hot, dry wood.
His chest heaved up and down. Sweat caked his body. Tharja stared at him with shock and awe. Did she just receive a glimpse of Ben's true power? But that shock and awe was replaced by anger as she caught her breath. She stood and stomped her foot.
"What were you thinking!?" She cried.
Ben gave her a weary look. He did not answer her. Instead he reached up and wiped a hand over his face. Wiping away some sweat and sand from his eyes in the process. At that moment, Tharja saw that his clothes and cloak were shredded around his back. Some blood painted the wooden door Ben rested against.
She forgot all of her anger as she rushed forward and placed a numbing hex on him. A relieved sigh left his dry lips once the pain faded away. Slowly, she leaned him forward.
His back was a mess of bloody gashes and dry scrapes. Nothing fatal. But certainly not comfortable. Tharja frowned and yanked the remains of his cloak from his shoulders. Once she did that, she flipped her spell book open and placed a hex on him that caused the wounds on his back to immediately clot.
"I-" Ben sucked in a deep breath and uttered a dry laugh. "I thought you said hexes were not beneficial spells?"
Tharja frowned, "That particular one I just casted is usually the cause of heart attacks back at the Temple. I just modified it to suit my purposes." She flung his cloak to the side and undid the clasp on her own black cape. She placed the smaller cape over his shoulders, "Keep that on. It'll help keep the wounds from rubbing against anything else."
Ben gave her a weary nod. After that, she helped him to his feet and guided him over to a dusty, wicker chair on the wall opposite of the main door. He slumped into the chair. If the numbing hex was not on him, he would have winced in pain. But Tharja made sure to execute that spell to perfection. Ben would be unable to feel any pain for a few days. That would allow him to heal nicely.
Once she was confident Ben could not injure himself any further, Tharja relaxed and slumped into the chair beside him. They stayed silent. During the silence, the dark mage got a good look at the hut they were in.
It felt oddly familiar to her. The wicker furniture was well worn. There was an old rug on the sandy ground that had started to decay. The windows were already shuttered closed. Two other rooms branched off from the main room. One door lay in splinters on the ground. The other was flung wide open. But she could not catch a glimpse of what lay in the other rooms.
And at the moment, Tharja did not care. She gave Ben an angry look. The exhausted man glanced over at her.
"Hm?"
"Hm!?" Tharja fumed, "That is all you can say?"
Ben winced, "To be fair, I'm technically supposed to be in a lot of pain right now. And I am also extremely tired."
She glowered at him, "Why?"
Ben arched an eyebrow, "Why?" He snorted, "Because you are my friend Tharja. I'm not just going to let one of my friends die."
Tharja folded her arms over her chest, "So you would willingly throw your own life away in a rash attempt to save mine!?"
Ben gave her a nod.
She shook her head and muttered under her breath words that Ben could not hear. But he was certain several had to be curses involving his own foolish decisions. Regardless of what she thought, he did not regret his actions. Not one bit.
Tharja took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly.
"So…" She said. Apparently a little calmer than before, "How exactly did we manage to survive that?"
Ben took a deep breath, "A force technique that I used often during the Clone Wars, though it had only been put to the test like that once before. I raised a Force Shield around us. I can only hold something like that for a short amount of time. And it takes a great deal of energy to maintain."
"I can see that." Tharja muttered, "How long until you will be recovered?"
Ben shrugged, "Depends really. How much rest are you going to let me have?"
Tharja snorted, "As much as needed. We can't really go anywhere at this point." She rose from her chair and dusted some sand from her body.
Tharja took another look around the hut's main room. She could not shake this strange feeling of familiarity she had with this place. It sat with her. Pounded against her mind. A strange sense of nostalgia. This was not a new place for her. She had been here before. But when? A long sigh left her lips.
"I'm going to take a look around real quick." She told Ben, "Maybe I'll find something useful."
Ben gave her a weak nod then let his head fall back against the back of the chair. Tharja shook her head as she made her way to the room with the intact, open door. He really should not have done something so stupid. Her life was not worth his.
She entered the room. It appeared to be a storage space of some sort. There were a few clay pots scattered about the room. Some of them were cracked open and consumed by the desert's shifting sands. Others were still sealed closed. Tharja approached one and tapped her knuckles against it.
There was a faint echo and the sound liquid rippling inside. A small, pleased smile graced her lips. At least they had water. She would unseal this pot later. Beyond a few other small knick-knacks, the room did not have much to offer. She did spot a tarantula scuttling across the wall. She was tempted to grab it. But her other alchemy ingredients were in Anna's cart. So there was no point in taking the arachnid.
Tharja emerged from the storage room to find Ben already asleep in his chair. The power he used exhausted him. She was curious about that one other time his shield had been put to the test. It had to be a moment of dire peril. Perhaps she would ask him later.
Her heels turned and she approached the room with the splintered door. She peaked inside. A bedroom of some sort. There was a rickety, sand covered mattress lying against the far wall. Designed for two people. Perhaps a couple shared this hut? She then noticed a few toys littered the floor. Some blocks. A wicker doll. Tharja narrowed her eyes and reached down for the doll.
It's stringy hair was stained black. Almost as dark as her own. There was a crude, crooked smiley face carved into the doll's head. It's cloth dress had been mostly eaten away by the elements. But she could see that it used to be a vibrant red color. She frowned and turned it over in her hand.
Her breath caught in her throat. Embedded in the back of the doll, wedged between the wicker that the doll was made of, was a ring. The sand had stolen it's golden shine, but she recognized it nonetheless. She wore a similar one upon her own hand. It was not a wedding ring. No, Tharja never shared a romance with anyone. It was a family ring. A symbol of status among the people of Plegia. More specifically, among members of the Grimleal. Her finger brushed against the Eyes of Grima etched into the gold.
Her heart pounded in her chest. An endless thump. If felt like a drum was beating in her chest. She gingerly cradled the ring in her hands and compared it to her own.
They matched.
A gasp rushed form her lips and she dropped the ring. No, she could not be here. This place was-
"Tharja?"
She twirled around and saw Ben leaning against the door of the bedroom. Even though he was there, she could not suppress a sniffle. She felt some tears run down her cheeks.
"What is wrong?" He asked her.
The dark mage swallowed hard. She knelt back down and picked the ring up from the floor.
"I-" She sniffled again, "I know this place."
Ben gave her a puzzle look. He hobbled across the room and peered at the ring in her hands. He noticed the ring on her right hand. His eyes widened.
"This was your home?" He breathed. Correctly guessing the significance of the two rings.
A tear ran down Tharja's cheek. Ben felt his own breathing stop. Tharja did not cry. She did not ever appear sad. She never showed any emotion except for frustration, anger, and sometimes dark satisfaction. Her small hand clenched tight over the dull, golden ring.
Ben could tell she was on the verge of collapsing right then and there. There were memories associated here that were painful for her. He placed his finger beneath her quivering chin and lifted her head so that she looked at him.
"Memory walk?" He asked. His voice quiet and gentle.
He saw some fear flash through Tharja's eyes. Her gaze darted around the room. She took a deep, shuddering breath and guided Ben over to the straw mattress against the wall. They both sat down on the edge. Tharja closed her eyes and clutched her spell book close to her chest.
"I-" She opened her eyes and grimaced, "I'm not sure about this."
Ben nodded, "I wasn't when we first did this either. But," He reached out and gently took her hand, "If it helps me, it'll help you too."
Tharja gave Ben a hesitant look. She could see the concern on his face. He would not let her face this alone. And that was comfort enough for the dark mage. She flicked her spell book open and began the incantation for the scrying spell. Only this time, the subject was not Ben. No, they would be going into her mind. Her memories. That would require a slight alteration. She adjusted the spell and completed the incantation. Purple runes raced from the book and crawled over her and Ben's skin.
They both closed their eyes. When Tharja opened hers again, they were still in the bedroom. But it looked different.
Sand was not piled up on the floor. In fact, the floors of the hut were a lovely, polished, bright tile that felt cool to the touch. There was more than just the toy doll on the floor. There was a stack of blocks with various magical runes carved into them. A toy cart sat against the wall opposite of the bed. It all appeared so neat and clean.
The mattress she and Ben sat on was not choked with sand. It was soft but firm. Freshly made. A comfortable thing to sit on. But Thraja did not want to sit. She rose to her feet and took a couple careful steps forward. Ben rose with her.
The dark mage drew close to the open door. When she did, a woman's voice hit her ears. Freezing the dark mage in place.
"Vazol! Hurry up and bring Tharja back in." The woman called out the open front door, "Supper is almost ready!"
"Coming Nasai!"
Tharja peaked around the door. Her heart would not stop pounding in her chest.
There was her mother, just as she remembered her. Her black hair looked exactly like her own. Straight and sleek. As shiny as obsidian. Her skin was also pale. But instead of Grimleal robes, she wore simple peasant clothes, complete with a cooking apron that was a few sizes too big for her skinny frame.
Ben noticed Tharja start to tremble. But he said nothing. This was her battle, not his. He would help if she needed him to. But for now, he remained a silent observer as she saw her mother for the first time in years.
Although, the Jedi could not suppress a small laugh as a small, black haired toddler came bouncing into the hut. A mess of giggles and playful cheers erupted from the little girl as a large, tanner man barreled into the hut.
Tharja took a deep breath. Her father. Just as she remembered him as well. He always looked so big and strong. She inherited his dark eyes. But not his bright smile which seemed infectious at the time.
"Here comes the the lion!" He playfully roared at little Tharja before scooping her up in his arms and hoisting her high above his head. Much to the toddler's delight.
Even Tharja had to utter a small chuckle when her younger self brought a fist down on her father's nose. The man recoiled but did not appear angry. Instead he just laughed and flicked her nose.
"That's my girl." He placed her back down, "Go get all that dust off of you. Daddy needs to talk to mommy."
The little girl nodded and rushed away to the storage room. But she did not go all the way inside. Instead, she lingered near the door and listened in on her parents.
"So what did the elders have to say? Are they going to let them stay even after their deception?" Nasai whispered to her husband as she finished cooking some peppers over a small stove.
"The High Priestess and her child? Yes, they are."
Tharja drew back in surprise. She did not remember this. Or she did, but did not actively recall it. She took a few more steps towards her parents. All of her attention focused on the conversation they were having in hushed voices.
"The elders accepted her!?"
"Against my own council. Yes, they did." Tharja's father breathed, "They agreed to shelter her and the boy."
A terrified gasp rushed from Nasai's lips, "You know what that means, Vazol!"
"I know. I already plan on making sure we leave and find another village somewhere else. Validar will not tear my family apart. I swear that on Grima's name." He took a seat in the same wicker chair Ben had been sitting in. "But we will not worry about that right now. We will solidify our plans tomorrow. For now, lets rest and enjoy this time together." He winked over at the storage room, "I see you over there my little sorceress."
Little Tharja giggled and sprinted back out from the room. Her father enveloped her in a large hug.
"Did you get the dust out of her hair?"
She nodded. Her father gave her skeptical look. His large, calloused hand reached down and rubbed her head. Sending a shower of sand all over the place.
"You did not!" He said, feigning betrayal and shock.
Tharja's mother chuckled, "Enough playing you two. Supper is ready."
Just as her mother moved to hand her husband a bowl of stir fried vegetables a loud cry came from outside. Tharja and Ben both saw her parents tense up. A loud boom hit the little hut. In an instant, Vazol was on his feet. He handed little Tharja over to Nasai and raced to a shelf near the door. He plucked a dark tome from the books on the shelf and opened the front door. Fear washed over his face.
"Vazol?"
"How did he find her so quickly!?" Tharja's father gasped.
"Vazol!?" Tharja's mother called.
Tharja paled as her father turned and gave her mother a terrified look.
"Validar is here, personally."
"The villagers don't stand a chance!" Nasai gasped.
"Neither do we. We must run, now!"
Nasai scooped little Tharja up and sprinted out the door after her husband.
"No, not that way." Tharja breathed before chasing after the memory of her parents.
Ben followed her. When he stepped out into the village square, he was met with chaos. Black magic swirled through the air. A purple haze settled over the ground. Villagers ran about in a panic. A few of the braver souls grabbed sickles and other sharp tools in order to try and defend themselves. And in the chaos, Ben lost sight of Tharja.
"Tharja!" He called.
She did not answer him.
A sinister laugh hit his ears. Ben turned and saw a thin, tall form emerge from black smoke. He recognized him even now. The man who attempted to assassinate Emmeryn at the start of the war with Plegia. The late High Priest of the Grimleal, Validar. He appeared younger in this memory. There were not as many lines on his face. And his beard was a darker shade of black. But his skin still held that sickly color to it.
He showed no mercy to the villagers. With a swipe of his hand, an inferno consumed the few who brandished makeshift weapons. His eyes blazed yellow and he pointed at little Tharja and her family as they sprinted towards the safety of the nearby dunes.
"Kill them!" Validar snarled.
Five Grimleal mages rushed out of the smoke and fire. Ben twirled around and gave chase.
"The rest of you find them!" Validar shouted above the chaos and carnage, "Find my son and that traitorous witch!"
Ben's eyes widened as he saw more Grimleal mages attack the village. Validar brought an entire legion of them with him. But why? These poor villagers were defenseless against such an assault.
A shriek raced across the fiery desert. Ben felt horror grip his heart. He turned his gaze and saw Tharja sink to her knees just as her father was cut down by the Grimleal. But not before he took four of them with him.
Nasai threw her daughter behind her. Tharja's mother raised her own tome and began to furiously cast spell after spell at the attacking dark mages. Her fury was something to marvel at. Ben now understood where Tharja got her power from. Her mother had to be one of the most powerful mages Ben had ever seen. Not a single Grimleal was able to stand against her.
The bodies began to pile up. Little Tharja clung to her mother's skirt. Tears stained her dirty cheeks. Ben's heart froze as he saw her father raise a hand to the sky.
Little Tharja raced away from her mother towards her dying father.
"Tharja!" Nasai shrieked, removing her focus from the battle at hand.
A blast of dark magic unlike any Ben had ever seen before slammed into Nasai. The powerful mage spun around then fell into a heap on the ground. Smoke drifted up from her still form. Ben felt her life force instantly leave her body. He searched for the spell's origin. Validar confidently strode towards the fallen mages. The Jedi's fist curled up at his sides. How could that monster so callously kill innocents?
Ben finally reached Tharja. The Dark mage stared blankly at the scene before them as she knelt in the hot sand. Too paralyzed with fear to move.
Her younger self reached her father. He uttered some weak gasps and sputtered out a bloody cough.
"Run… Tharja… please."
The little girl did not listen. Her small hands grabbed her father's spell book. She struggled to pick up the heavy tome. But when she did, she flung the cover open and pointed a defiant hand at the approaching Validar.
A blast of dark magic shot from the little girl's hand, surprising the High Priest. He grunted and took a step back as the blast smacked him in the jaw. Tharja managed to draw blood from the corner of his mouth. Validar reached up and brushed the blood away with the back of his hand.
Vazol tried to sit upright.
"Do not touch her you-"
Another blast of dark magic hit Tharja's father. He fell back into the sand. Eyes filled with death's vacant stare.
Tears poured down little Tharja's cheeks. But she remained defiant. Just as she tried to replicate her success with the first spell, Validar reached down and ripped the spell book from her grasp.
His yellow eyes regarded her with contempt. But also with a small hint of curiosity.
"That was a rather impressive little Flux you managed to cast." He muttered, wiping away fresh blood from his lip, "Not many are able to land a blow like that on me anymore." His evil eyes regarded Tharja, "You have marvelous potential. I may not find my son today. But perhaps I have gained nice little consolation prize instead. Take her!"
Grimleal mages approached and grabbed little Tharja. As they took her away, Ben could feel rage seeping out of his friend. The memory began to shimmer around them. Ben took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was back in the hut. It was dusty. Damaged. Old and covered in sand.
Tharja was not sitting beside him. Instead she stood in the center of the room. Her hands wrapped around the little doll with the faded red dress and lopsided smile.
Ben got to his feet and took a cautious step towards her.
"Tharja?"
A rage filled cry erupted from the dark mage. A pulse of magic so powerful it nearly knocked Ben off of his feet surged from her pale body. When the pulse faded, the doll crumbled to ash in her hands. Her shoulders shuddered for a second. A deep breath rushed through her lungs. Then she stood still. Eyes staring down at the ash by her feet.
"I hate that memory."
Her voice was a whisper. The confidence that normally permeated it was missing. Without another word, she strode back into the main room and left Ben alone in her parent's room.
Gaius frowned as he sat in the hut's empty main room. The others were all trying to be as relaxed as possible. Anna would not stop fretting about the products she had in her cart. It would take hours to clear the sand from her merchandise. That was a chore the thief was not looking forward to.
He leaned back against Anna's horse as the beast rested. The horse snorted and shook it's head, flicking its mane over Gaius's face. The thief sputtered as some sandy horse hair got in his mouth.
"Rude!" He said as he glared at the horse.
The horse snorted again. It did not care. Gaius groaned and got to his feet. His mouth felt dry like sandpaper. Gods, he could use a drink. He doubted he would find any water in this abandoned hut.
It had been hours since they entered the hut in order to escape the sandstorm. This had to be one of the biggest storm's Gaius had ever seen. He dared not peak outside. Opening a window could be deadly. But he could hear the storm swirling outside. Pounding against the stone hut with lethal intent.
It's a good thing us desert dwellers are good builders. Gaius thought, Those wood buildings back in Ylisse would have been pulverized by now.
He took a look around at the others. Anna managed to start a small fire a few hours ago. So the inside of the hut was not pitch black anymore. Donnel stayed as far away from any windows as he could. The farm boy pulled some jerky from his travel pack and began to pass it around. Gaius felt his stomach rumble. Some proper food would be great right about now. Laurent had his nose in his spell book, as always. Specs was always trying to learn something new. And Whiskers napped off in a darker corner of the room. Her quiet snores brought a small measure of comfort to everyone else in the hut.
But Bubbles was nowhere to be found. It had been hours and he was still in one of the rooms that shot out from the main space. Gaius frowned.
"What is he up to?" He mumbled to himself.
The thief got to his feet and made his way over to the next room. Robin took the sudden loss of Ben and Tharja hard. The sandstorm consumed them. And while Gaius did not want to believe they were dead, it was the most likely scenario. If the sand did not bury them alive, then it would have shredded them to ribbons. The desert sand in this area was as coarse as sandpaper. With how fast the storm was moving, it would only be a matter of time.
Gaius shook his head. Without Benny and Sunshine, the road would be a little more boring. He enjoyed antagonizing those two. It was his way of showing some affection. While Tharja did make him nervous due to her Grimleal upbringing, he had grown to appreciate her. Even value her strange form of friendship.
And Ben… that guy was the reason he was even alive. Ben had been one snap decision away from killing him all those months ago in Ylisstol. Back when Gaius ran around with fellow thieves and dangerous assassins. Without that small act of mercy, Gaius would be dead. That thought never left the thief's mind. He owed everything since to Ben. While he would never let the swordsman know that, he still felt that way. The guy had earned his friendship and loyalty. Even if he was a touch too uptight at times.
Gaius peaked into the spare room. To his surprise, there was more furniture in this room than in the main room. Most of it was made of wicker, like everything else in Plegia. Boring, reedy, and very uncomfortable to sit on. But there was Bubbles, sitting on one of those chairs. A dusty, leather bound tome sat in his hands. One he plucked from a sand covered bookshelf that sat off to the side in the room.
The dark room appeared to be a study of some sort. Old books lined several shelves along the walls. A small alembic and a mortar and pestle sat near the boarded up window. Some vials meant for potion crafting lay in piles around the crafting spot. Scrolls and empty inkwells littered the sandy floor. The more Gaius looked at it, the more of a bad feeling he got. This was a mage's study. And the only mages in Plegia belonged to the Grimleal.
"Hey uh," Gaius gulped, "Bubbles, you okay?"
Robin looked up from what he was reading. Gaius could see some long dry tear stains beneath his eyes. He exhaled loudly and tapped a finger against the open page he was reading.
"I um-" Robin swallowed hard, "I've just been reading."
"Obviously." Gaius snorted. He strode over to Robin and looked over his shoulder. There was some sort of magical mumbo jumbo on the page that he could not understand, "What's it about?"
"That's the thing." Robin breathed, "It is a formula for a Thunder spell."
Gaius was even more confused, "Ok? So it is a Thunder spell. Big deal."
Robin shook his head, "It… it kind of is a big deal." He reached into his own coat and withdrew his own spell book. He flicked through the pages until he reached his own Thunder spell, "Take a good long look."
Gaius narrowed his eyes at both texts. He hummed to himself. Lots of notes. He arched an eyebrow. The thief was impressed. Robin had very neat handwriting.
"What am I looking for?"
Robin rolled his eyes, "The formulas are identical. Down to the notes taken about the spell." He closed his own spell book and placed it back into his coat.
"Ok? So they're the same." Gaius replied, "Big deal?"
"At first, no." Robin remarked, "But the more I read this spell book," He lifted the older, dustier one from his lap, "The more similarities it shares with my own."
Gaius furrowed his brow, "What are you saying exactly?"
Robin took a deep breath. He shook his head and got to his feet.
"I don't know." He placed the spell book back in its spot on the dust covered bookshelf, "At first this was just another hut to me. But… the more I look around, the more everything looks familiar." Robin frowned. His fingers lingered on the spell book he just placed back, "I can't help but feel a strange sense of nostalgia while I sit in this room."
Gaius's eyes widened, "Do you think this might have something to do with your amnesia?"
"I'm sure of it." Robin replied, "But, there are no memories bursting forth. Just feelings. Intense feelings associated with this place. I close my eyes and I can feel happiness and innocence. But at the same time, there is fear and uncertainty in this place. I can't explain how I feel these things. What I can do, is recognize that everything about this hut, this village, is familiar to me."
Gaius shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe you lived here at one time?"
Robin nodded, "That's entirely possible." He long sigh left his lips, "I wish Ben was here. I don't know what he would do, but there was always something he could do to help sift through these confusing thoughts."
"Yeah," Gaius nodded, "I'm not much help in that regard."
His eyes flicked around the room. His inner thief would not stay still no matter what. There was a lot a valuable stuff in here. The alembic near the window appeared to have some crystal mixed in with the normal glass. That would fetch a nice bit of gold. He was sure Anna would pay an enormous amount of coin for any one of the spell books he saw. Hell, all of the paper on its own would fetch a minor fortune back at the Plegian Capitol.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something odd about the wall near one of the bookshelves. Gaius frowned and strode across the room over to it. The stone looked different. It was a different color. A different pattern sat embedded in the rough rock. He walked over and ran a hand over the odd stone.
"Gaius? What exactly are you doing?" Robin asked.
Gaius raised a finger. Silencing the tactician. He pressed his ear against the stone and knocked his knuckles against it. A hollow thunk rang out.
"There's something behind this." Gaius said, "C'mon give me a hand."
Robin arched an eyebrow, "Gaius?"
"Just help me pull the stone out of the wall." He drew his sword and wedged the tip of the blade into one of the cracks on along the edge of the rock. With a quick wiggle of the blade, the stone shifted out. Robin came up and grabbed one side while Gaius gripped the other.
"This is a big rock." Robin grunted as he pulled on it.
"Pull together." Gaius said, "One, two… three!"
They pulled with all of their might. The stone refused to budge for the first few tugs. Then, on the final tug, it slipped free from the wall. The large slab slammed into the floor with a mighty crack. The tile hidden beneath the layers of sand on the floor shattered beneath its weight. A rush of stale air hit both Gaius and Robin's noses.
"A cut out. I knew it!" Gaius smirked, "What shiny things is this little hut hiding!?"
Robin let out an exasperated sigh as Gaius stuck his head into the hole.
"Gaius, there's probably nothing. This place is long abandoned."
A sudden gasp rushed from the thief. He jumped and smacked his head against the top of the cut out. A loud, snarl of pain erupted from Gaius before he yanked his head free.
"You see? There is nothing. Probably just spiders or sand." Robin said.
Gaius gave him a fearful shake of his head. Robin furrowed his brow as Gaius motioned for him to take a look.
Robin swallowed hard. At first he thought Gaius might be trying to prank him. An odd way to raise his spirits. But the thief appeared paler than a ghost. Robin could sense genuine terror radiating from the man.
Despite his own uncertainty, Robin stuck his head in the hole. His blood went cold when he did.
Sitting in the darkness were two, black boxes lined with gold. One of them was open.
"Reeking boxes." Robin breathed.
He pushed himself away from the cursed objects. Gaius gave Robin a shaky nod.
"You and I are thinking alike. Best to let the sand bury those and-"
"Grab the closed one." Robin said.
Gaius jumped back from Robin, "Are you out of your mind!?"
"Grab it and put it into the coat." Robin replied as he pulled his spell book from his large pocket in order to make space for the reeking box.
"Why me!?"
"Because we don't know how it will react to a mage's touch. You don't have magic. So it'll likely remain dormant if you touch it."
A small whimper left Gaius's lips, "I'm telling we should leave it alone."
"We won't get another chance like this. With that one box, we could learn how to actually destroy them."
"Or we will accidentally unleash hell!" Gaius hissed back.
Robin gave Gaius a pleading look. The thief drew back.
"D-don't look at me like that. No! Puppy dog eyes do not work on me. Not unless you are a cute girl. That's different." He folded his arms and frowned at Robin. The tactician did not relent. Gaius sagged his shoulders, "Fine."
"Thank you, best friend."
"Now you are lying to me too." Gaius snorted as he reached into the hole and grabbed the closed reeking box, "What's next? You profess your undying love for me? You owe me a cart load of candy for this."
Robin wrapped his hands in his sleeves and gingerly took the box from Gaius. He then rushed over to the alchemy station and grabbed a ratty, old cloth from beneath the alembic. He wrapped the dark cloth around the box and placed it inside of his coat.
"I still say this is a bad idea." Gaius remarked.
"Say it all you want. You won't change my mind."
There was a knock on the open door. Both Robin and Gaius turned to see Donnel standing in the doorway.
"Guys, I think the sandstorm's done."
Gaius arched an eyebrow. He craned his head to the side and strained his hearing. He could not hear sand blasting against the hut anymore. And the wind did not howl like an unholy monster outside. The farm boy was right.
Cautiously, Gaius moved to a window to confirm his suspicions. He opened the latched window and peaked outside. A large portion of the village was buried beneath sand. But that was good. Gaius could actually see the rest of the village. The storm was over.
He gulped and glanced at Robin. He could feel dread creeping into his heart.
"Let's hope for the best. But... um... be prepared for the worst."
Robin gave Gaius a grim nod. It was time to search for Ben and Tharja.
Ben found her sitting on the floor of the hut. Head bowed. Fingers fidgeting with the black, leather binding of her spell book. Tharja was eerily silent, even by her own standards. The only noise in the hut came from the howling wind and rampaging sand outside. He carefully walked over to her and took a seat across from her on the floor.
"Tharja? Do you need to-"
"I don't need to talk." She interrupted with a grumble.
Ben frowned, "You make me talk when we go through my memories."
"Your memories aren't staring you in the face at the moment." Tharja snarled back.
Ben let out a small sigh. He glanced around the small hut. This was Tharja's childhood home. This was where she was likely born. This was where she learned to take her first steps. Spoke her first words. She probably began her magical studies in this very room. It had to be a difficult place for her to sit. Ben could not even imagine how it would feel to be sitting in the spot where people close to him were murdered. If he went through a memory walk while inside the Jedi Temple, he would probably be in just as foul a mood as Tharja.
"I'm sure they're proud of you." Ben said softly.
Tharja flicked her dark eyes up from her spell book.
"Proud of me?" She hissed back, "You think they would be proud of me? I joined the very people that murdered them."
"You were forced to Tharja."
"I could have left at any time. But I didn't. I dishonored their memory by remaining alongside that monster." Tharja replied, "Sure, did I gain knowledge and power unimaginable by doing so? Yes. But I still-"
"You still left." Ben interrupted, "When given the choice between helping the Grimleal and leaving to forge your own path, you chose the latter."
Tharja snorted, "That would hardly make them proud of me. I'm still a Grimleal mage." She sighed "I've probably been excommunicated now that I think about it. I am a traitor after all. Leaving the Grimleal does not automatically make me a good person worthy of my parent's love and praise."
"You're right." Ben admitted, "It doesn't. But what you have done after leaving the Grimleal would." He gave Tharja a small smile, "You have fought for justice. Done battle against dark forces like Maul and King Gangrel. Fought to save lives, both of friends and strangers. You have done the right thing… in your own strange and twisted way."
A small laugh left Tharja's lips as Ben spoke. A shuddering breath left her lips.
"Maybe you're right." She muttered. Another deep breath rushed in and out of her lungs, "You know, I don't really remember being raised by them. I was barely old enough to start learning magic when my mother and father died." A small wistful smile crossed her lips, "I was actually raised by two other mages that took pity on me at the Temple. They protected me from any nasty curses. Taught me how to hex people when I was only five years old. Fought to take care of me, despite my youth and weakness at the time."
She gave Ben a small smile. Not a dark smirk that held hidden intent behind it. But a genuine smile. A beautiful thing that rushed over her pale face and brightened the dark room.
"I guess, you could say I had two sets of parents. One taught me how to take care of myself and how to become a powerful mage. The other… the ones we just saw, taught me how to take care of others. The meaning of sacrifice. What happiness and family felt like." She wiped a small tear from her eye, "Maybe one day, I'll have that feeling again. And now I will know what it feels like when it happens."
Ben smiled and nodded, "I'm glad to hear that."
Tharja sniffled. The smile on her face remained as she sat quietly with Ben. It was a small, quaint smile. Barely showing any of the bright teeth behind her pale lips. But Ben could not help but feel overjoyed for her. It was the first time he had ever seen her let her guard down. Drop the terrifying facade and relax. It was a nice thing to see.
She blinked. Her smile broadened.
"I-I think the sandstorm is finished?"
Ben strained his hearing, "It sounds like it." He extended a hand to her as he got to his feet, "Shall we go inform the others that we are actually alive?"
Tharja laughed, "I have a feeling Gaius will think we are the walking dead."
"I would not put that out of the realm of possibility."
Ben pushed the door open to the hut. And both stepped out into the scorching desert sun.
And chapter! I have been waiting to write this chapter for WEEKS! I have so much fun writing Ben and Tharja's parts, you all have no idea. And I loved putting this little spin on the little memory scenes I have been writing for Ben. Plus this give Tharja some enormous background and character development. And the wall she normally puts up is officially gone when it comes to Ben. That will make them even more fun to write! I'm so excited!
This chapter was originally going to be much bigger. But the second half of this chapter was going to be so much more different in tone than what I have uploaded that I decided to break it up into two different chapters. Better for the flow of the story that way. Also, I just checked my word count and I'm over 10,000. First time ever!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!