Taran walked as best he could, using Bruck for support along the way. The blood had long since clotted, but that didn't mean the pain was gone. The volcanic ash lands they were in made the air around unbearably hot and vaporous. It made it difficult to breath properly and made their throats dry.
Ceran took the lead, followed by Tia, then Ventress, Ahsoka, and Bruck and Taran to the rear. Ahsoka every now and again would look back to see how Taran was doing, nervous about his injury. The injury wasn't fatal, she knew, but it still bothered her to see him in pain. Flashbacks of him back on Raxus Prime still haunted her.
Up ahead, they could see the glow of volcano erupting, the mountain itself blocked off by the vapors and the mist.
Ceran stopped, motioning for them to stop. They'd been walking for the past three hours and Taran looked like he couldn't go on for much longer. Taran sat on the ground, rubbing his leg to soothe the pain. Ahsoka had torn off a part of her leggings to make a bandage. In some spots the blood had went through, but it helped.
"You hanging in there?" Ceran asked.
"Let's just find this last jewel and be done with it," said Taran exhaustively.
"That's the spirit," said Ceran. He looked off to see the volcano spewing forth its molten earthen load into the landscape. Even from here they could all feel the heat. The heat wasn't stifling, mostly hot but dry. The group started back up again, continuing the trudge towards the volcano.
"As soon as I get out of this, this planet is going to be destroyed," said Dooku.
"Same here," said Grievous as they entered the volcanic landscape. They also saw the volcano off to the distance.
"For once, I agree with you," said Anakin.
"We need to hurry. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave," said Obi-Wan. The four of them trudged through the barren landscape as well, not knowing what dangers were ahead.
The volcano loomed ahead of them, spewing forth molten lava. The group peered up at it, surrounded by virtual rivers of molten lava. The heat was now near unbearable and breathing properly was out of the question.
"Alright, we should split up," said Ceran. "Groups of two."
"Alright, what do you suggest?" said Bruck.
"Ahsoka, I think you'd prefer helping Taran and cover the western face of the volcano. Ventress, you can come with me and take the center face. Bruck and Tia I believe it is, take the eastern face," said Ceran.
"Doing that could be dangerous?" said Xerxes, his image floating above them.
"We know, just show us the jewels anyway," said Ventress. The images of the jewels appeared above their heads, Ahsoka and Ventress having a yellow one, Ceran and Taran jade, and Bruck and Tia cerulean.
"You know what to do. Don't be late," said Xerxes, disappearing again. With that, they split off in to cover their destinations.
Ahsoka had to brace Taran so that he could walk properly.
"I swear, I think I'm injury prone," said Taran.
"You're not the only one," said Ahsoka, chuckling as Taran found a way to humor her in any situation. They continued to walk in silence, the landscape rumbling around them. Taran was deep in thought, wondering many things at the same time.
"Soka?" said Taran. She turned her head to him.
"I've been thinking of something. I love you, more than anything, but we might have to tell the Council eventually," said Taran.
"Taran, you know what could happen," said Ahsoka.
"Yes, but we can't keep doing this forever," said Taran. Ahsoka sighed.
"I know," she said.
"We don't have to tell them now, just when the time is right, when the war dies down," said Taran. Ahsoka nodded.
"Chin up, what's the worst they can do?" said Taran.
"Well we can't be Jedi anymore," said Ahsoka. "Is that easy to give up?" Taran thought about it.
"No, but a life without you there is a life not worth spending," said Taran. Ahsoka smiled. Taran smiled back. Suddenly, the ground underneath shook violently, causing them both to fall to the ground. Rocks and other debris fell down the slope. Taran used his Bending to keep them away from the pair. Just as quickly as it happened, it stopped.
"What was that?" said Ahsoka.
"I don't k-Oh spirits," said Taran. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. From out of the volcano, a large form was bubbling out of the ground. First it grew hands and feet, then legs and arms, and finally a sinister head emerged. When it fully emerged, the two of them froze in fear.
The creature was made of a combination of lava and stone. It resembled more of a giant, walking snapping turtle. It's outside surface was stone whilst the lava composed its insides. Its eyes and mouth glowed with the light and power of the lava inside it. It roared at them, beginning to make its way towards them.
Taran tried to get up, but, his leg gave out again and he fell to one knee.
"Taran," said Ahsoka, worried about his condition.
"Don't worry about me Soka," said Taran. He lifted his hands and tried to see if he could Bend the elements that made up to the monster. To his surprise, it didn't work, the monster was immune to Bending. The monster swiped at him, forcing them both to roll to opposite sides at it destroyed the spot they were in before. It caused a medium-sized trench to form between him and Ahsoka.
Taran bended a large rock and sent it hurtling towards the creature's head. It hit the monster full force, causing it to stumble a bit. Taran sent another boulder into its stomach, sending it crashing down to the ground, allowing Ahsoka time to get to him. She rushed over to him and helped him up. The monster rolled over onto its side to get its footing, standing up slowly. It turned around to see Taran and Ahsoka making their way up the volcanic peak.
Ahsoka looked around wildly and saw the glimmer of something lodged in a rock a hundred yards up ahead. She heard the monster roar and head towards them, taking steps that got it a lot farther than they were trying to get to.
"Ahsoka, go get the jewel. I know it's up there. I'll buy you some time," said Taran.
"No, I'm not leaving you," said Ahsoka.
"You have to. I'm slowing you down. Hurry and get it, I'll be fine," said Taran, flashing her his trademark grin, the grin she knew was meant to say that everything would be alright. Though she didn't want to, she knew she wouldn't convince him to let her stay.
"I'll be back as fast as I can," she said. She hurriedly kissed him before she began running up towards the jewel. The monster roared, aiming to go for Ahsoka.
"Oh no you don't," said Taran. He bent the ground under the monster, causing a small rock slide. The monster lost its footing and began to roll down the volcano. Taran followed it as best he could, raining down fireballs on it. The fireballs had no effect, but he did it to keep the monster occupied and annoyed, and to also keep rolling. Finally coming to a halt, the monster tried to get up again. Seeing Taran, it roared and began to crawl towards him. Taran readied for it.
Meanwhile, Ahsoka was only a ten yards away from the jewel. Suddenly, she felt something hit her across her head. She fell down onto the loose volcanic rock on the ground, dazed. She looked up to see three black, harpy-like creatures circling overhead. They were the size of ysalamari, with coal-black eyes and sharp, dagger-like teeth. Their grey bodies resembled the landscape around them, and it was evident that they had been waiting here to serve as a last hindrance.
They screeched and attacked Ahsoka as one. Ahsoka dodged the first creature and used the Force to push the second one away, but the third one bit down onto her shoulder. Ahsoka yelled in pain and tried to pry it off of her, but the creature held firm, biting down even harder and causing her blood to seep out.
As she tried to pry it off, the first swooped down and bit her leg, while the second one aimed for her face and bit down extremely hard on her lekku.
"Ahh!" yelled Ahsoka, unimaginable pain shooting through her. Since lekku contained part of her brain and numerous nerve endings, they were sensitive, and violent behavior to them produced enough pain to cause her to black out. She did for a few moments, crashing to the ground. The creatures let go and circled above her as if they were birds of prey. They plunged towards her.
Three earthen spikes the size of darts crashed into their bodies, impaling them and sending them down to the ground, dead. Ahsoka looked to see Taran about thirty yards away, hand held in a Bending stance towards her. However, this left his flank exposed for a moment. The monster used its arm and swiped him aside, sending him flying into the air before he hit a large rock with his back, slumping down apparently unconscious.
"Taran!" yelled Ahsoka. Advancing fast, she came up to the jewel, straining hard to pry it out of the rock. She succeeded after a few good tugs, holding the jewel in her hand. She saw it was her and Ventress' jewel. A roar behind her made her turn to see the monster advancing on Taran, who was still unconscious. She sprinted for him, trying to reach Taran before the monster did. The monster got there first and prepared to smash Taran into a pulp. Ahsoka used the Force to aid her run and she managed to get her hand onto Taran's tunic and pull him out of harms way, the monster's foot smashing the boulder he was laying on just a second before.
"Wake up, please wake up," said Ahsoka, shaking Taran hard to get him conscious. The monster readied its foot to smash them again, and Ahsoka knew that this time, she couldn't get them both out of the way fast enough. She shook him one more time before she did the unthinkable and slapped him.
Taran's eyes slowly opened, snapping to attention in time to see the massive foot barreling towards him and Ahsoka. He reacted quickly and a pillar of earth shot up, stopping the monsters foot in its tracks. Rolling to the side, Taran quickly gathered up enough rock from the ground and solidified it to make a disc. The monster prepared to swipe at him and Ahsoka again.
Taran and Ahsoka focused their energy on the earth disc, making sure it would have enough force for what they were about to do. When the monster began its swipe, the disc shot straight for its neck.
SCHINK!
The head of the monster rolled off, the lava simulating its blood trickling out of its body as it fell to the ground with a mighty crash, rumbling the ground in the surrounding area. Taran took deep breaths before he collapsed to the ground on his back. Ahsoka was by his side, holding his head up as he fought to regain breath.
"You okay?" he managed to say. She nodded. He smiled.
"We always get the fun assignments."
Ventress and Ceran were currently battling a dozen harpy-like creatures, Ventress hurtling one to the ground with her bare hands and holding another one down with the Force, choking it as it struggled against the invisible hand squeezing the life out of it.
Ceran was sending a torrent fireballs at the other three that were attacking them, keeping them back at a distance. The creatures continued to fly around them, trying to find a weakness.
"Finding that gem would be good about now!" yelled Ceran.
"Hold on boy!" said Ventress. Their gem, specifically Taran and Ceran's gem, was literally yards away from them. However, the creatures were keeping them away from it. Everytime they tried to coordinate their movements, the creatures increased their attacks to throw them off.
Ventress kicked a creature aside as she dashed for the gem once again. Immediately, the other creatures dived for her. Just as they were, Ceran seized the opportunity to launch a vicious air swipe on the, sending them pummeling to the ground around them. Ventress took hold of the gem and two bolted as the creatures collected themselves.
"Nice attack," said Ventress.
"Most welcome your baldness," said Ceran, smirking. Ventress glared, but a tiny smile ghosted over her lips for a split second. As they raced down the volcano, they saw movement ahead of them. Ceran sensed two beings up ahead fighting several human-sized stone creatures made of volcanic rock and magma. They ran up to see Obi-Wan and Grievous fighting for their lives, Grievous punched and kicked the creatures with his metal limbs as hard as he could while Obi-Wan used the Force to send them back. Their attacks only phased the creatures for a bit before they were on them again. Their jewel was in Obi-Wan's hands as they fought to get out of this alive.
Ceran launched a boulder into one creature whilst jump-kicking another away that got dangerously close to Obi-Wan.
"Never thought I'd say thanks to you," said Obi-Wan, Force-pushing another monster back.
"Never thought I'd be saving your lives," said Ceran. In no time, the monsters were forced back, with one cut in half from the waist up. The others retreated in disarray.
"That was close," said Obi-Wan.
"It wouldn't have been if you had not gotten in my way Kenobi," said Grievous.
"Need I remind you that you were the one who walk blindly into their trap," said Obi-Wan.
"You two sound like a married couple," said Ventress.
"Come on, we need to find the others," said Ceran. The group immediately set out as they picked their way through the volcanic landscape. As they walked, Obi-Wan looked out.
"Was that forest there before?" he asked. They all turned to see indeed that the jungle forest they had went through the first day was at the foot of the volcano. A few miles away from it, they could see what appeared to be the stone benches where they had started this crazy adventure.
"Let's find the others and get this over with," said Ceran. At that moment, Bruck and Tia came running towards them, followed by Anakin and Dooku.
"That was fast," said Ventress.
"Run!" yelled Anakin. Behind them, came a gaggle of harpies, stone monsters, and two stone-magma giants. It didn't take them long to do get the message.
"Not too much farther," said Ahsoka as she and Taran made their to the edge of the jungle. It had appeared to them as well and they meant to wait there, knowing that the others would arrive their at some point in time. Taran's leg still bothered him, but he grit his teeth and went on, making sure to put more weight on it so that Ahsoka's burden would lessen with each step. Once they made it there, they sat and waited.
Ahsoka had Taran lay on a tree trunk so that she could look over his wound again. The wounds had long since healed, but the scabs looked ugly. The makeshift bandage was still blood-soaked, so she removed it and tore off a leaf from the tree over head and tore down the leaf to make a long, rectangular strip. Once it was to her liking she tied it back around the wounds and began to tie it
"You're too good to me," said Taran. Ahsoka smiled at him.
"It's my job to make sure you're always fine," she said.
"Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you," said Taran.
"Don't say that Taran. I love you more than words can say, and we've proven to each other every step of the way that that will never change. You do so much for me, and all of us, that sometimes I wonder if I deserve you," said Ahsoka. Her hands finished tying it as he grit his teeth from the stinging pain before they found his hands.
"But then a wise man told me that even if you feel like you're not worthy of anything, a good thing in your life is not be felt like a burden, but rather as a blessing," said Ahsoka. Taran smiled at her,both their eyes meeting each other with the same intensity they had felt for two years now.
"Ahsoka, about my ancestor-"
"Ahh!"
"What was that?" said Ahsoka.
"It sounded like, Ceran?" said Taran, standing up. From on top a hill on the volcano's slope, everyone in the group was running to their direction.
"What is going on?" said Ahsoka. Her answer came in the many different types of volcano creatures chasing after the group.
"Run for it!" yelled Anakin. Not needing a second answer, Taran and Ahsoka ran into the forest. Ahsoka's bandage had done the trick and Taran could run and walk without difficulty, although every step stung and he was a bit slower than before. From now on, it was a dead sprint back to the finish line.
"Attention my followers. The contestants will be arriving shortly," said Xerxes. The followers in the stands began to applaud before settling down and waiting. For long minutes, nothing happened. Some onlookers began to whisper among themselves. Suddenly, Ventress ran out of the edge of the forest, followed by Bruck and Tia, then Anakin, Obi-Wan, Grievous, Ahsoka, Taran, Ceran, and Dooku. On their heels was the monsters. The crowd began to cheer loudly as they raced to the finish markers.
They all crossed, with Dooku nearly not making it if he hadn't leaped across, the jaws of a stone-magma monster coming dangerously close to seizing his leg. Once he was past, the monsters all vanished at once in a cloud of dust. Everyone save Grievous was on the ground, breathing heavily. Xerxes materialized in person around them.
"Congratulations my friends, you have won the game," he said. The audience's cries deafened the area as they screamed and yelled, praising the contestants.
"Your gems if you please," said Xerxes. Those who had them threw them at his feet.
"We did what you wanted, now let us go," said Obi-Wan.
"I'm afraid I can't just yet," said Xerxes
"What do you mean?" said Dooku.
"The winners of the Shadow games are to be honored and revered throughout the people as gods, worthy of worship and praise," said Xerxes. "They are my invention. These gems make me stronger every 100 years. If they were not done, my powers will cease. I lure offworlders to this planet to undergo the games. So far all of them are successful, and they are rewarded."
"We don't want rewards, we just want to go home," said Anakin.
"I am afraid that that cannot be allowed. As I said, you are to be worshiped as gods, and you must break free of your mortal reins," said Xerxes.
"What do you mean?" said Tia.
"You must be sacrificed."
So sorry for the long update. Classes plus writer's block is a pain in the neck, but now I have cause to write again. Stay tuned for the next chapter.