The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 103
The Voice of Naga
Robin feared sleep. He feared the moment his eyes would close and the darkness would take him. But he could not deny his body's needs. He could not fight off the weariness in his eyes or the heaviness of his head. One moment, he rode alongside Dooku, head bobbing up and down as he fought to remain awake. The next, darkness.
Then a flicker of white light. Robin squinted at the white light as it consumed the world around him.
The light morphed and twisted. Shapes appeared. Those shapes stretched and squeezed. Some became cobblestones in the road. Others rose into the sky as buildings. The sky remained a blank canvass for a moment. Then it turned into the crystal clear sky from that fateful day.
The smoke from the battle was absent. So was the fire, the screams of the wounded, the moans of the dying; all missing. Charlet sat empty in his mind. Not even a breeze brushed past him.
Robin furrowed his brow. He took one step on the cobblestone road. His boots clapped against the stone. That clap echoed all around him. It bounced off the shop walls to his right. Ricocheted through the alleys and streets that ran away from Charlet's vast harbor. The echo faded away.
Then it got closer. As the sound returned, a pit formed in Robin's stomach. It did not sound like his footstep. Instead, it sounded like a voice.
"Robin!"
He squeezed his eyes shut as Miriel's voice rose into a loud chorus around him. It fractured. Became malformed. Then reformed into dozens of different voices. All of them hers. All of them screaming his name. The scream she shouted just before he buried his sword to the hilt in her heart.
Make it stop. Robin dropped to his knees. His eyes screwed shut, tighter than before. His hands gripped the sides of his head. He tried to cover his ears, but the screams only grew, both in volume and number.
Vaike's mournful wails joined the horrible cacophony surrounding him. Nowi's screams when Ricken was slain joined in. A disturbing choir sang in the windless air.
Stop. Robin fell to his hands. He kept his eyes closed. Fearing what he would see if he opened them again. The cobblestones shifted beneath his palms. Please, stop.
The air grew cold. Goosebumps formed on his skin as frozen hands brushed against the back of his neck and ran down his spine. His jaw clenched tight as the voices rose in pitch around him.
"You failed them."
"STOP!" Robin roared, eyes flying open.
Charlet was gone. Ylisstol took its place. Just as empty as Charlet. As lifeless and artificial as the city that haunted his every waking thought.
This was the first time he had been taken here though. Robin furrowed his brow. His chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as the mournful choir faded into nothingness. He stood frozen before the gates to the Exalt's palace.
Nothing seemed out of place. Nothing appeared wrong. And yet, everything about this sight felt wrong. Everything appeared fake.
Of course it would be. Robin glanced over at vibrant red roses growing along the walls surrounding the palace, This is my mind.
He looked up the white walls. Blank and unmoving. Being in Ylisstol puzzled him. He could understand why his mind always took him back to Charlet or Plegia. The trauma of the events that occured in those places would haunt anyone. The events were forever burned into his mind. He would never be able to forget the death, destruction, and loss associated with the ruined fortress in Plegia and the Rosanne city of Charlet.
Ricken's still form flashed in front of his eyes. The young mage, gone far too soon. Taken by one of Grima's fell servants. And there was nothing Robin could have done about it. His own weakness rendered him useless in that fight. He was not even conscious for it. But for some reason, he could see how Ricken looked. He could see the holes in his body from where Grievous's lightsaber pierced him. He could see Ricken's pale, lifeless face. Could stare into the mage's eyes, no longer vibrant and happy. Instead they were vacant and dull.
How am I seeing this? Robin thought as Ricken's body lay at his feet in front of the palace doors. Why am I seeing this?
Stahl and Gregor's deaths flashed in his mind. Stahl, killed by the savagery of war. Slaughtered because Robin's strategy caused him to charge into the teeth of a vicious wall of fire and lightning. Gregor, slaughtered by Grievous while he just watched. The mercenary dying as a far more courageous man than Robin felt he could ever be. While he shook in terror before Grievous, Gregor stood and fought. Gregor died a warrior. And Robin let him.
Tears dripped down Robin's cheeks. It felt difficult to breath.
Miriel's corpse appeared beside the others. A hole sat over her heart. Blood stained her dark robes. Her pale face had gone ghost white. As Robin looked at her corpse, he felt his hands shaking.
"All my fault." He whispered. "All of it… it is my fault." His hands balled up into tight fists as anger rushed through his veins, "WHY ARE YOU TORMENTING ME WITH THIS!?" He cried at his mind. At a void that just let him scream, "WHY MUST I…" He lowered his gaze as tears rushed down his face, "Why must I keep seeing this?"
"Because you are weak." A shadow crept up the white gates in front of him. It towered over him. A formless mass of darkness that glowered from its perch over his shivering form, "All of your strength, is mine. And unless you embrace me, you will always fail them."
Robin choked as he looked at the bodies of his friends.
"I can't fail anymore." Robin gulped, "I must be stronger than this." He raised his eyes and stared defiantly at the dark shadow, "I must be stronger than you."
The shadow snarled.
"You are the voice." Robin clenched his teeth, "You are the one that causes me to lose control." Robin glared hatefully at the shadow as it shrank down the city gates, "What are you?" Robin growled as the shadow started to take shape, "ANSWER ME!"
The shadow laughed. A mocking chuckle that infuriated Robin. Piercing cold slammed into Robin. Power poured out of the shadow. An endless well opened in the Force. And the Dark Side burst out of it like a geyser.
"Foolish child." The shadow took the shape of a man. The same height as Robin. Same build. Same clothing and stance. "You think I am something else?" Yellow eyes glowed beneath his drawn hood. Robin's breath lodged in his throat as he stared at an all too familiar face. A wide, sinister grin formed on the shadow's lips.
"I am you."
The hooves of their horses quietly stamped into the soft earth along the trail. Deep shadows hung all around the two riders as they delved further into the massive forests that blanketed central Valm. In the distance, Dooku could hear several rivers rushing through the forests. The soothing sound of the water gave the dense forest a far more pleasant, serene feeling than the shadows alone would allow.
The Deadlord's gaze glanced above the treetops around him. Ascending higher and higher as his sight scaled the trunk of the largest tree he had ever seen in his life. An enormous feat as well, for he had been to Kashyyk before.
The Mila Tree dominated the land. A thick mountain made of wood and leaves. Branches spanned out like great dragon wings from the top. It almost looked like a second canopy hung over the rest of the great forest. Even though he had seen the tree before, Dooku still felt in awe whenever he looked upon it.
Some things about this world continue to amaze me. He thought.
Robin stirred in his saddle beside him. Dooku glanced away from the Mila Tree over to the tactician. The young man slowly woke up in his saddle. His head hung heavy as he let out a loud yawn.
"Rest well?" Dooku asked as he kept their riding pace slow and deliberate along the dirt trail.
Robin gave him an exhausted look, "Not really." He sighed, "But I guess, it was better than nothing."
Dooku hummed, "Another nightmare?"
Robin nodded.
Dooku frowned. The nightmares did not seem to end. Despite whatever council or advise Dooku gave the boy, Robin's mind seemed hellbent on tormenting him.
Is it his mind, or something else?
"Care to share?" Dooku asked.
Robin sucked in a sharp breath, "Same as before-"
"Charlet?"
"Would you let me finish." Robin snarled.
Dooku gave him a surprised look. Robin did not anger easily. But throughout the campaign in Valm, the tactician's mental state had been erratic at best. Come to think of it, Robin's problems truly began after the diplomatic mission to Plegia. A mission he did not go on for reasons he did not want to reveal to the other shepherds.
After that diplomatic mission, and the tragedy of Ricken's death, Robin's behavior became troubling. He actively lost control of his temper, especially on the battlefield. That loss of control led to the dark side of the force bubbling to the surface around him. A cold surge that always took the old Sith Lord aback. It was startling to feel just how in tune the tactician really was with the dark side of the force. How he could see easily call upon it when enraged or terrified. It took so much training to be able to will the dark side into coming to one's aid for a normal person.
Robin is far from normal. Dooku frowned to himself. He nodded for Robin to continue.
Robin took a deep breath, "I saw Charlet again. I kept my eyes closed this time."
"You could control what happened?" Dooku asked.
Robin shook his head, "Not really. I still… I still heard it all. I heard Miriel's last words. I heard Vaike's mournful screams. I… I heard Nowi's wails when Ricken died. And that is one of the strangest parts to me. How could I hear that? I was not conscious when Ricken died."
Indeed. Dooku thought, How could you hear that?
"The dream shifted after that. I was in Ylisstol. Before the Palace gates." He gulped, "Their corpses were at my feet. And as each one appeared, I saw their deaths all over again." Robin's hands tightened around the reins, "I begged for it to stop. As I begged, a shadow crept up the walls of the gates." Dooku furrowed his brow as Robin continued, "I heard… the voice. The one that growls in my mind whenever I lose control. It told me I was to blame for all of this. That if I had only embraced its powers, I would not have lost them." Robin grit his teeth. Dooku sensed a surge of anger from the young man, "I replied back to it. I mean, that voice is there whenever I lose control. That voice caused it all. But then it shifted. The shadow turned into… me." Robin tore his gaze from his horse over to Dooku, "The shadow became me."
Dooku did not say a word.
"Do you think it is right?" Robin asked, "If I had-"
"The Dark Side of the Force is a treacherous mistress, Robin. Listen to it, and it will betray you." Dooku uttered a heavy, regretful sigh, "Like it betrayed me."
Robin arched an eyebrow, "Betrayed you?"
Dooku opened his mouth to explain further. Before he could, a warning shot through the force. One that caused him to yank on the reins of his horse. His steed snorted and stamped a hoof as their slow march through the forest ground to a halt. Robin paused alongside him. The weary tactician suddenly just as alert as the wary Sith Lord.
"What is it?" Robin whispered.
Movement. Multiple beings rushed through the thickets around them. Dooku's eyes flicked back and forth as he struggled to see in the dark. A snarl crossed his lips as his hand slowly descended towards his hip. Ready to draw his lightsaber. Robin paled when he saw the slow, deliberate motion.
"Trouble?" Robin asked again.
"Stretch out with the force, Robin." Dooku hissed back. His horse stamped nervously beneath him, "You tell me."
Leaves rustled to their right. In an instant, Robin's spellbook was in his left hand. His left hand clenched into a fist as he readied himself to cast a spell. Dooku gripped his lightsaber and turned his horse to face the rustling brush nearby.
A Valmese soldier burst from the brush. Eyes wide with terror. Face soaked with blood, both fresh and old. When he caught sight of Robin and Dooku, an insane scream left his throat. Before either Dooku or Robin could blink, the man drew his blade and charged at Dooku.
The red lightsaber thundered to life, and the soldier's head rolled along the ground. Robin paled as he watched the rest of the body crumple to the dirt.
The lightsaber's red glow caused the shadows to deepen around the two riders. A cold breeze brushed through the forest. The branches above them groaned and creaked. Several leaves fluttered down in a frantic dance on the cold wind. The lightsaber's hum was the only sound that pierced the night.
"Something is very wrong here." Robin gulped.
"I couldn't agree more." Dooku glanced over his shoulder at Robin. He deactivated his lightsaber, "Keep your wits about you."
Robin gave him a stiff nod then followed the Sith Lord further down the trail. The closer they drew to the Mila Tree, the more hushed the forest became. Birds that once sang soft songs all around them went silent. Squirrels and other little animals that called the trees and thickets home disappeared. Not even the wind produced a sound despite the occasional caress of cold that rushed by the two riders.
Robin shivered in his saddle. With his free hand, he adjusted his coat. Buttoning the gold buttons in order to block the breeze from crawling over his skin. It did little to help. The cold only grew worse as they drew closer to the Mila Tree.
"Isn't there an army that is supposed to be stationed here?" Robin asked, his voice a hushed whisper as he strained his ears for any sign of life around them.
Dooku frowned, "General Cervantes's army to be precise."
"What is he like?" Robin asked, trying to strike up a conversation in order to ease his own nerves.
Dooku let out a small snort, "A bit vain. Especially when it comes to his mustache. Although, it is a rather impressive mustache. If we run into him remember that we are not-"
A mournful moan floated on a blast of wind. The hairs on Robin's neck stood on end. Chills crawled down his spine. This feeling felt all too familiar.
His horse snorted and uttered an alarmed whinny. Dooku's horse snarled and stamped. Both steeds refused to go any further down the trail. Dooku cursed and dug his heels, trying to get his horse to go forward. But the animal only stamped backwards. It jerked against Dooku's commands. It's dark eyes were wide with primal terror. The look prey has when it knows a predator prowls the night.
Robin gulped, "Go the rest of the way on foot?"
Dooku scowled, "I'd rather not. If these crazed beasts do not listen to my compulsions-"
"Compulsions?" Robin blinked, "The force can-"
"With the right training yes, you can command beasts of low intellect." Dooku hissed back, "Unfortunately, their fear is stronger than my command at the moment."
Robin's gut twisted into a knot, "I'm not sure how to feel about that."
A curse in some strange language slipped from Dooku's lips. The Sith Lord scowled, jumped from his horse and uttered a low growl.
"On foot it is." Dooku smacked the horse's behind. The horse did not need any further prodding as it raced away. Back the way they came. Robin followed Dooku's example. But when he dismounted, his horse shot away with any command or gesture.
"W-wait, my… stuff…" Robin's shoulders fell as the horse disappeared into the night, "Damn it." He glanced over at Dooku, "There go our rations."
"At least you have your book and sword." Dooku replied. His eyes glanced at the shadows around them. He then looked up. The boughs of the Mila Tree blotted out the stars. Only thin rays of moonlight penetrated the canopy over their heads, "I think those will be more useful tonight than rations."
Robin gulped, "I hope you are wrong."
The two pressed further down the trail. Soon, the trail widened. The massive roots of the Mila Tree rose up out of the ground around them like great wooden walls. Walls that would normally have torches or campfires lit along them.
Robin arched an eyebrow as they drew closer to the great tree. Where was General Cervantes's army. The army charged with guarding this sacred sight from Valmese Rebels. Did they leave? Were they recalled away in order to deal with the Archanean threat to the east? For some reason, Robin felt that was wishful thinking.
They entered a clearing in the forest. Robin's heart surged to his throat.
A large campsite sat empty in the clearing. A Valmese flag, torn into tatters, still flew on a small pole at the camp's entry. Robin and Dooku both paused as they stared at the camp.
"Nobody home." Robin gulped.
"No bodies." Dooku corrected, "And no weapons or fires." His lightsaber once again returned to his hand. His thumb hovered over the activation button. The force continued to give him whispered warnings. Cryptic feelings that he could not pinpoint, "Be cautious."
Robin nodded. He slipped his spellbook back into his coat and drew his sword instead. The metal screeched against the hardened scabbard. Robin cringed. Dooku eyed him, but said nothing. They both tiptoed their way into the camp.
Eerie, that was the best way to describe the abandoned military camp. Everything looked normal. Nothing seemed out of place. There was a pot filled with cold stew sitting over the remains of a large, communal fire. Chairs and stools sat around that fire. None of them were toppled over. No sign of alarm or struggle. The grass and dirt didn't even look disturbed. And that unsettled both Robin and Dooku.
"An army does not just leave all of this." Robin muttered. He nodded at the tents around them, "These tents are too nice to just abandon."
"I agree." Dooku flicked his gaze back and forth. He briefly sank into the force. Trying to sense what was out of place. But the force remained murky. With a frustrated growl, he pressed forward, "Best to get to our Manakete friend quickly." He glanced all around the camp one more time, "I have a bad feeling about all of this."
"Yeah?" Robin remarked, "You and me both. When did yours start? Before or after we beheaded a manic soldier?"
Dooku rolled his eyes, "What would you have me do, let him stab me?"
"By your own admission, you can't die." Robin pointed out.
"It still hurts a little bit."
Footsteps scurried to their right. Both men froze. Dooku slowly turned to face the darkness. In the darkness, he saw a command tent. General Cervantes's tent to be precise. The shadows within too deep for him to make out anything. Robin gulped beside Dooku. The tactician gave the Sith Lord a hesitant look before following him closer to the large, open tent.
They stepped into the tent. Before their eyes could adjust to the darkness, a pair of large hands seized Robin.
"GAH!" Robin cried as he sword was smacked from his grip by a heavy hand.
Dooku's lightsaber thundered to life. General Cervantes emerged in the red glow. Eyes bloodshot. Filled with terror. Mustache caked in dried blood. Armor dented and slashed in several places. A broken lance rested in the corner of the tent. A shield shattered into three pieces, scorched by fire, rested beside it. Cervantes's large hands were wrapped around Robin's throat as he clenched his teeth and squeezed.
"General." Dooku's measured voice began. He reached out with the force and brushed against the General's mind, "Release my companion, please."
The General's bloodshot eyes snapped over to Dooku. Robin squirmed in Cervantes' iron grip. The General did not even blink as he glared at Dooku. Primitive fear filled the general. Something savage swirled through his mind. This was no longer a commander of men. This was an animal of prey, desperately seeking to survive.
Dooku pressed harder against Cervantes's mind. No longer merely suggesting obedience with the force, but demanding it. He risked shattering the man's mind by doing so. But urgency was needed. He did not want the large man to crush Robin's throat.
What meager mental walls the General had collapsed under Dooku's assault. Within seconds, Dooku dove into the man's mind. Bashing away the hostility he felt and instead coaxing forth feelings of clarity and calm.
Cervantes's grip loosened. Robin fell onto his back. Chest heaving up and down as he struggled to catch his breath.
"T-Tyrannus?" Cervantes stammered, his once powerful voice meek and still in the night, "Wh-what are you-" He shook his head, "You must leave, quickly. It is… it is not safe here."
"General," Dooku hummed, "The Conqueror is worried. We have not received contact from-"
"To hell with the Conqueror." Cervantes croaked as fear washed over his bloody visage yet again, "I fear the beasts prowling this night more."
Dooku furrowed his brow, "Care to explain, General."
Cervantes uttered a ragged breath. He glanced down at Robin. The man's bald brow furrowed as he looked at Robin's coat.
"Is he one of them?" Cervantes growled.
"One of who?"
"Damn Grimleal!" Cervantes snarled back.
Dooku kept his lightsaber activated as he sensed anger directed at Robin, "No. He is actually Ylissean."
Cervantes scoffed, "Could've fooled me." He glared at Dooku, "Had a whole mess of those scrawny bastards descend on us a couple hours ago. Nothing my men couldn't handle. We outnumbered them after all. They seemed to be after something, not sure what."
Confusion filled Dooku, "Grimleal, here?"
"I felt the same way." Cervantes growled, "One of them split my shield with a nasty spell." Cervantes staged his way towards his broken weapon, "Broke my spear in one of their guts. Heh! Puny mages. They think they can break me and my men? The lot of them stood no chance… at first." Cervantes started to tremble, "Now I wish I did not kill as many of those bastards as I did."
"Why?" Dooku asked, "What happened?"
Robin coughed some more before rising to his feet as well, "I'd like to know that as well."
Cervantes kept his back to both of them, "They came out of nowhere. I… I can't describe them. Demons, all three of them." Cervantes glanced over his shoulder. Terror filled his gaze, "They killed… all of us. Indiscriminate carnage. Those Grimleal enemies became my allies as we were all torn to pieces. I-I've never seen anything like it."
Dooku's face paled, "Three demons?"
Robin gulped as a cold breeze brushed into the tent, "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
Dooku slowly nodded, "We need to get up the tree, now."
Robin gave Dooku a surprised look, "Uh no, we need to get the hell out of here. There is no way we can take on three Deadlords. We can't even take on one at the moment!"
"And the Manakete at the top of the Mila Tree can, trust me." Dooku replied.
"The Manakete… Lady Tiki... oh gods," Cervantes paled, "The demons wanted the Voice. They are going to kill the Voice of Naga. Oh, if that happens, I will be strung up over gallows. That is if they don't kill me first."
Robin gave the portly man a perplexed look, "Voice of Naga?" He glanced at Dooku, "What the hell is he going on about now?"
"I'm not sure. But we can seek out answers later. We are running out of-"
A blast of cold slammed into both of them. A moan echoed on the wind. The red glow from Dooku's saber shrank as the shadows deepened all around them. A whimper left Cervantes's lips as he sank to the ground and covered his head with his arms.
"No… no…" Cervantes whimpered, "Not again… no…"
Dooku felt two new presences approach the tent. Both force sensitive. Both opposite in personality. One was controlled, measured, extremely disciplined. He could not even feel a faint flicker of emotion from it. The other, wild and angry. Without much restrained at all. It felt like an animal on a leash. Ready to pounce upon prey.
Robin gulped beside Dooku, "I sense two-"
"I sense them as well."
Both turned around. Dooku blinked.
"Deadlords." Robin breathed.
Two of the strangest Deadlords Robin had ever seen stood beyond the tent. The one on Robin's left was a woman. A very strange woman. Most of her body was covered in dark robes. Only her face was visible. In the red glow of Dooku's lightsaber, Robin could barely make out her face. And the color confused him. Who on earth possessed green skin?
The Deadlord to the woman's right seemed like a normal human being. Dark robes covered his body as well. A deep hood shrouded most of his head. Yellow eyes glowed beneath his hood. But in the scarlet glow, he could see a circular scar on one of his cheeks. A burn scar from the looks of things. A snarl rested over his pale lips.
"Robin." Dooku breathed, "I will take care of this."
Robin arched an eyebrow, "Alone? Why?"
Dooku inclined his chin at the deadlords, "Their weapons of choice."
Robin flicked his gaze to their hands. All color rushed away from his face. Both deadlords carried lightsabers. He could just barely see their silver hilts glinting in the red light.
"Old friends of yours?" Robin asked, his voice hushed as the pair stared down their enemy.
"One is. The other… not so much." Dooku kept his lightsaber in a low guard as he took a step towards his opponents, "Away with you now Robin. Get to our destination. I will meet you there."
Robin blinked, "Ar-are you sure you can-"
Dooku inhaled, "Question me again, and I may help these deadlords kill you." Robin gulped, "Now go."
Robin hesitated. The deadlord on his left flicked his yellow eyes over to him.
"One of the targets." He muttered to his female companion.
Robin paled.
"First the traitor." The green skinned woman replied, "Then the target."
Fear punched Robin as the first deadlord narrowed his eyes at him. The piercing cold in the air jabbed him like needles. Without another word, Robin rushed towards the large stairs that ascended up the trunk of the Mila Tree. Leaving Dooku alone to face the enemy.
Dooku flicked his gaze over to Robin as the boy rushed up the Mila Tree's steps.
"I did not know you were capable of worrying for others, Equus." The green skinned woman remarked as she stepped to Dooku's right.
Dooku gave her a small smirk, "Master Luminara, you should know better than that. I cared for Qui Gon, after all."
The other deadlord that circled him to the left snarled at the mention of Qui Gon's name.
"And judging by that reaction," Dooku's smirked at the other deadlord, "I'm going to assume you are little Xanatos. My, how you've not grown. I remember hearing of your death." Dooku clicked his tongue, "Rather pathetic in the grand scheme of things."
Xanatos's red lightsaber thundered to life. The pair stopped circling him.
"Let me slaughter him, Simia." Xanatos snarled.
Dooku cocked an eyebrow, "Simia?" He glanced over at Luminara. A small chuckle left his lips, "Oh, has our master grown paranoid over giving you both personality? How little identity do you have left? Did I make him change his mind about actually giving us deadlords our full abilities?" Dooku shook his head, "I pity both of you then. You will never come close to challenging me. And if your goal is Robin, well, you should have grabbed him while you could."
Luminara's lightsaber hissed to life. The green glow of the blade lit up the area around her, revealing twin points of red light in her irises. A slight hint of sadness hit Dooku upon seeing the Mirialan without her natural blue eyes. His smirk fell away as he glanced at both red and green blades to his sides.
"Is that how it is going to be then?" Dooku twirled his lightsaber in his hand, "Very well." He glanced at Luminara, "Know that I will not enjoy this, Master Luminara." He glanced over at Xanatos as the deadlord snarled, "I will very much enjoy killing you."
Xanatos lunged at Dooku. An awkward, out of practice stroke the Sith Lord easily parried. He sensed danger behind him and ducked beneath a prescise slash from the Mirialan deadlord. Dooku twirled around and swiped at Luminara. She hissed as she jumped back.
"Already disappointing, the both of you." Dooku frowned.
With confident ease, Dooku began his assault. Xanatos backpedaled as Dooku expertly picked apart his defense. The deadlord growled as he caught Dooku's blade and tried to hold it in a lock.
"I can see how Qui Gon so easily bested you, boy." Dooku snarled, "You lack any sort of martial skill."
"I nearly killed that bastard of a master!" Xanatos roared.
A sparkle danced in Dooku's eyes, "So there is some of your former personality there. Perhaps our master is not so much of a fool as I thought he was."
He spun around and parried Luminara's attack, a low thrust to his hip. Dooku slashed at her neck. The Mirialan easily deflected his strike. Xanatos growled and raised his blade to cleave Dooku in two. Dooku smirked and spun, opening his palm around his hilt and sending the deadlord flying back with a force push.
Luminara chose that moment to attack again. Dooku twisted to avoid her strike. He felt her blade buzz close to his chest as he narrowly avoided the point of her green blade.
"You are much more aggressive than you used to be, Luminara." Dooku hummed as he took several steps back, coaxing the deadlord to follow him, "I thought Soresu was your preferred choice of combat."
"That does not mean I cannot be on the offensive." Luminara spat back.
"How the old you would have scowled at such a declaration." Dooku spat.
Their lightsabers clashed in a flurry of red and green. Dooku quickly stepped around Luminara and stabbed at her shoulder. The Deadlord snarled as she stumbled backwards and bumped into one of the massive roots of the Mila Tree. Dooku slashed at her. She ducked away as his saber slashed into the root. Leaving a deep, glowing gouge in the bark.
"A little help would be appreciated, Porcus!" Luminara cried as Dooku continued his assault. Peppering her solid defense with precise stabs and slashes. She tripped backwards and fell flat on her back.
"Yes, this is not the Luminara I know." Dooku frowned, "She would not have been bested so easily."
The force fluctuated. Dooku felt it ripple through the air behind him. A warning rushed before it. He spun to the side, avoiding the red blade aimed at his neck. Dooku twirled and caught a follow up strike from Xanatos.
"See that one coming, Equus?" Xanatos growled.
Dooku frowned, "Surprisingly no. Let me guess, Force Stealth." Xanatos blinked in surprise. Dooku chuckled, "Did you honestly believe you were the only practitioner. Foolish boy. You think you match the abilities of a Sith Lord? You are merely playing pretend, even in death."
Xanatos roared with rage. And to his credit, his form improved. Dooku found himself actually having to concentrate as the Deadlord engaged him. Showering his defenses with heavy handed slashes before quickly twirling and attempting to stab him in the back. A well executed move, but not perfectly executed. Dooku caught his blade.
If I had my other hand, I would have blasted this brat with lightning already. Dooku thought to himself with frustration.
Luminara dashed at him. Dooku tore his blade away and parried her attack. With an annoyed snarl, he let out a small pulse in the force. Pushing both deadlords back away from him a few feet.
"Growing tired, old man?" Xanatos said with a smirk.
"Quit acting like a fool. You are underestimating him." Luminara hissed, "He was a Sith for a reason."
"Indeed," Dooku quickly deactivated his lightsaber, "I was." He directed a blast of lightning at Xanatos. Catching the deadlord off guard. The bolts slammed into his body, sending the deadlord screaming across the camp and crashing into a tent. The tent collapsed around him. Several sparks caught the dry canvass. Flames erupted over the fallen structure.
"Now then," Dooku turned to face Luminara. He activated his lightsaber once again and readied himself, "Where were we?"
For one moment, one brief moment, death had its claws around him once again. A cold embrace that consumed everything about Bovis. His mind, his body, his soul, they belonged to the void. He did not know how long the void owned him. Was it seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days, or even years? Perhaps even centuries? It did not matter. He breathed air once again. He had been given new life by a master he did not know of, until now.
At first, when he returned from the grave, he thought Medeus brought him back to life. That damn dragon always hated him. And he hated Medeus in return. When he realized Medeus was not responsible for his resurrection, he assumed the next worst option. That Naga, in her ever growing cruelty, was playing a trick on him. That she brought him back as a husk. A plaything for her to torment and mock. A way of her extracting revenge for his actions against her kin.
The sight of a young man with ghost white hair and blazing yellow eyes was certainly not something he had been expecting. The place he was resurrected was also foreign to Bovis. A strange palace in a desert land with a strange residual dark energy hanging thick in the air. Before he even had time to assess his location, the young man gave him orders. And something, a strange force, compelled him to obey. In that moment, Bovis realized the game. Unlike Medeus, this new man… no, this new creature, commanded him. This new creature possessed power the likes of which were fascinating to the decrepit deadlord. That fascination led him to willingly carry out the creature's orders. If for no other reason, than to learn more about the one responsible for his revival.
Bovis paused in his ascent up the steps of the Mila Tree. Cold wind shot through his greasy, black hair. He was grateful he was revived in his thick robes. He had a feeling this night would give him quite a chill if he wore anything else. Besides, these robes, weathered and fraying, were familiar to him. They warmed him in a way clothing should not. They almost served as a reminder of who he once was, before he was killed and brought back.
He furrowed his dark brow. Bovis, that was not his name. What was it again?
The mission. He thought to himself, If I want to discover more about my… master… I need to complete the mission.
A simple mission really. This young creature who desired to be his master required him, and two others like him, to find two people. The primary target was a young man named Robin. Rather unassuming in appearance. Brown hair, pale skin, average stature. But skilled in magic and he possessed a very sharp mind.
Sounds like my type of person. Bovis smiled to himself.
The other target piqued his interest the most. A manakete that lived atop this strange tree. One that clearly put his new master on edge. Manaketes were certainly a familiar thing for Bovis. He recalled his previous life actively battling the draconic creatures. Even seizing one very powerful, young Manakete and hypnotizing her to his will. A wistful smile crossed his cracked, wrinkled lips.
Wonderful times. He thought, Times where I served no one. Fragments of memories surfaced in his mind, And the world feared me.
He recalled a little girl with green hair and pointy ears. An extremely young Manakete. He also remembered a young man. A lord of some sorts. His name started with an 'M'. And every time he pictured that young man, hatred built up inside of him. Almost as much hatred as he held for Medeus.
He ascended higher into the Mila Tree. Up, up, and up, until the stairs ended at a large platform hidden deep in the boughs of the great tree. At the center of the platform was a small hut made of leaves and branches. The location of his target. He let the other two deadlords deal with the supposedly unassuming mage Robin. The Manakete would be his prize.
He took a step forward. The wooden platform creaked beneath his footfall. A loud yawn penetrated the silence.
"Mar Mar?" Two points of green light appeared in the hut's shadows. A pair of sleepy eyes.
Bovis sucked in a breath as a pair of hands clapped once. A little orb of soft, white light winked to life near those eyes. The light revealed a beautiful female Manakete. Long locks of green hair crowned her head, tied back in a high ponytail. Her flawless skin was hidden behind a homemade red dress that was cut short over her thighs. A pink sash was wrapped around her waist. Her gloved hands reached up and rubbed at one sleepy, green eye.
A memory of the little green haired Manakete rushed through Bovis's mind.
"Look how you have grown." He said. His voice hoarse with excitement and age. A low, threatening chuckle wheezed from his lungs as more memories came back to him.
The Manakete froze. Her eyes shot wide open. Slowly, she craned her head to look at where he stood. A smile spread over Bovis's lips as he saw fear enter her gaze.
"Y-you." The Manakete gasped. She scrambled to her feet. He stepped forward. She took a terrified step back. Her back pressed against the far wall of her hut as he entered, "I-Impossible." She gulped as he drew closer, " Stay away from me!"
Bovis tsked, "How cold of you? Is that any way to treat an old friend? After all these years-"
A spell erupted from the Manakete's right hand. A ball of fire flashed over Bovis's body. The heat swarmed over him. The flames washed over his robes and skin. But the fire did not harm him. As the flames disappeared, he emerged from the smoke. Close enough to the Manakete that she could feel his breath run cold over her skin.
He took a deep breath.
"I've missed you, my little friend."
The Manakete shook before him, "Y-you're no friend of mine!" She glared at him. Both terrified and furious, "I remember how you hypnotized me." More of her fear turned to anger, "The terrible things you made me do!"
"As do I, little one." He reached up with a hand and let his long fingernails brush her cheek, "As do I."
She smacked his hand away. Bovis chuckled.
"It took me a moment to recall, but now I remember. And… I can see why my new master fears you so much." Bovis grinned at her as she gave him a confused look.
"New master?" Her eyes widened, "Grima."
"Is that the youngster's name?" Bovis replied, "Grima, I wonder how he came into being."
More fire built up in the Manakete's clenched fists, "You will not live to find out."
"Now, now. How did that work out for you last time." Bovis shook his head, "Don't you know, you cannot harm me? You could not before. And you cannot now."
The flames flickered in her fists. She grit her teeth and buried a fiery punch into his gut. Bovis wheezed as he stumbled backwards.
"Harmed?" The Manakete snarled.
Anger flared through Bovis, "Why you-"
A blast of dark magic slammed into the deadlord. Bovis roared as he crashed through a wall a skidded out onto the platform. The Manakete's eyes followed him as he slid away from her. She flicked her gaze to the spell's origins. A woman in sorceress attire emerged from the shadows.
"Come with me!" The woman hissed.
The Manakete hesitated.
"Him or me!" The sorceress snarled.
The Manakete flicked her gaze over to Bovis as he struggled to rise to his feet. Without another thought, she rushed after the sorceress down the steps.
"Thank you." She exclaimed, "May I know my rescuer's name?"
The sorceress narrowed her eyes at her as they raced down the steps, "Aversa. And don't thank me yet."
They flew faster down the stairs. Far below the Mila Tree, the manakete could see three glowing blades dueling in the dark. Two red and one green. They clashed in bright sparks of light that startled her with each deadly blow.
"What is your name?" Aversa snarled as they paused at the next platform.
The Manakete drew in a breath, "Tiki."
Aversa nodded. She jerked in surprise then took a small step back. Tiki arched an eyebrow in confusion. Aversa nodded past her.
"And his?"
Tiki turned around. Her heart shot to her throat as she saw her attacker rise up from a pool of shadows in the platform. She swallowed hard and built up a fire spell in her hands once again.
"Gharnef."
And chapter! Happy Halloween everybody! A bit of spookier chapter for you all! I don't usually write a lot of horror stuff, so I decided to dabble a little bit. While obviously not terrifying (or maybe even scary), it was kind of fun to dabble in another genre for a few scenes.
Robin and Dooku have reached the Mila Tree, but not before our other friends reached it first. And it appears things did not go very well for our heretical Grimleal mages. Our three new deadlords have been revealed! One to antagonize Ben in Luminara. One who fit Porcus's profile very well in Xanatos. And one to terrorize Tiki in Gharnef. I do want to thank my friend Recursive Logic for helping me out with learning more about Gharnef, since I've only ever played awakening and didn't know much about him. Things are getting very interesting now. Can Dooku defeat two deadlords? And will Tiki and Aversa be able to defeat Gharnef? We will find out, won't we?
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!