Chapter 17
Run
"You did well today," Revan, seated on the side of Elena's bed, praised his lover who was lying down on her soft bed with her face buried against her pillow, evidently too exhausted to even listen to his words. The pale light of the waxing moon shone through the window of the dorm room and reflected off Elena's long black hair, the strands of which lay disorderly like a mop about her head. The back of the soon-to-be Jedi Knight rose and fell with every breath she took, deep and somewhat forced as it let Revan know just what kind of stress Elena had to endure in her latest Trial.
"Revan...," she murmured, slightly turning her head so that her voice was not muffled by her pillow. "I feel…so weak…Such pain…"
Revan chuckled softly and ran his fingers through her hair, caressing her throbbing head. "Well, you've just gone through arguably the most hellish of all the Trials – that of the Flesh; exactly what did you expect?"
"It was damn ridiculous," she continued to moan, tightly grasping Revan's hand which now held hers in order to comfort her. "I thought I would be subjected to pain in a controlled environment. What the hell were the Masters thinking? Putting me in a room not only coursing with electrical currents, but also filled with battle-primed droids and prohibiting me from tapping into the Force?"
Revan shrugged and laid a soft kiss on the top of Elena's head before lying down next to her and speaking warmly into her ear. "Master Vrook must have had something to drink last night, I guess. Speaking of which," his voice lit up, almost as if he wished her to be thankful of something – but what? "You should be thanking me for giving you the glass of tonic distilled in water I brought you last night for your dinner."
The Jedi Knight felt his lover tense and wince in his embrace the moment he mentioned what he did for her. She jerked her head sideways, looking at him with eyes full of dread. "You did what?!"
"Gave you a tonic?" he raised his eyebrow and spoke sheepishly to her. "Thought you needed it. You were in a near-nervous wreck and even initially refused to eat despite your stomach roaring at me. And why are you angry at me anyway? You should be thankful that I brought you something to consume after you refused to come to the dining hall with us."
Elena gently slapped Revan on the cheek. "Don't you know what this means? If the Council's medical tests show that I had whatever that tonic contained, I'll fail the Trial! I may even be expelled from the Order for trying to cheat!"
Revan sighed and rubbed Elena's arms in an effort to instil some calm into her. "Don't panic, Elena, it's alright. It's a special tonic I devised all by myself one day. Its contents will never turn up in any test that the Council runs, I assure you of that."
Elena frowned stubbornly. "How do you know that?"
"Because Alek, Meetra and I have all used it just prior to the Trial of the Flesh. Works every time."
Although a part of her was still gripped by fear and anxiety, the tension in Elena's shoulders cooled and settled down a little after hearing Revan speak those words. After all, he had rarely – if at all – been wrong on many matters. As cunning and sneaky as he was with his tongue when it came to strangers, especially those whom he had reason to believe were not of good intentions, he would never lie to his closest friends, and especially not with her.
Deciding to put her trust in Revan's… 'creativity', Elena sighed and sank her head back into the pillow. "Fine, Revan. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, sweetheart," he grinned, caressing her silky hair with his fingers. He then proceeded to pat her gently on the back as a way of saying 'congratulations', but winced the moment Elena let out a moan of pain. "Sorry…sorry…"
"The hell's the matter with you?" she berated him, exacting vengeance with a cheeky and hard pinch on his leg which in turn made him let out a soft cry.
"Sorry. I should have known better," he apologized and withdrew his hand, putting it safely away from her back and onto the side of the bed. "But really, does it hurt that much?"
"See for yourself," Elena muttered and brought her right arm up over the back of her head, pointing her thumb at her lower spinal area.
Revan froze with nervousness, stricken by what Elena was telling him to do. "You're…you're serious, aren't you?"
Elena mumbled in frustration. "We're lovers already, Revan. We're going to have to get used to it some time or another. Now get onto healing me."
Revan weakly nodded unconfidently and reached for the bottom part of the back of Elena's Jedi robes. Grabbing it with trembling fingers which were proof of his courteous nature when it came to Elena, he reluctantly pulled up her top as far as it could go, albeit stopping short of the point where the force of his pull would have exposed the part of Elena's frontal figure which even she was not prepared to show to him. For a moment after letting go of her clothing he stayed still, admiring her well-shaped and toned figure which was without question beautiful to him. But then, looking at the horrifically reddened and bruised parts of her body which were mildly singed by the hot electrical currents she had to put up with during her Trial, he gritted his teeth in dismay. Elena stirred, visibly pained by the exposure of her wounds to the cold air.
"These look terrible," Revan shook his head as he readied his hands to heal her surface wounds using the Force.
"Mpfh," Elena gruffly growled under her breath, too pained to speak properly. Soon enough, she could feel Revan's energy running all throughout her body, not only proceeding to heal the bodily wounds on her back, but also comfort her mind with the feelings of love and tenderness which only he could provide her. Peaceful sigh after sigh escaped her lips as she softly cooed at the blissful feeling that now enveloped her.
Revan smirked as he noticed Elena's positive reaction to his masterful healing. "You sure you don't want me to have a look at your front?"
"You wish," Elena blurted, bending her left knee and delivering a soft, teasing kick with her foot against Revan's back. The healing worked quite rapidly, and she immediately felt rejuvenated and able to properly speak. "And besides, I took care to ensure that my front was not stricken by bolts or other attacks. It's just my back that's killing me."
"Real shame, isn't it?" Revan couldn't help but laugh as he slowly transitioned from the healing to a hand massage to ease the pressure on Elena's shoulder muscles. She let out another moan beneath him, pleasured by the intimate gesture.
Thinking back to that one night she was consoled and comforted by Revan after she failed the Trial of Skill, she remembered the fear and anxiety she felt just before giving in to the urges of her heart and kissing him for the first time. Before they locked lips, she was utterly petrified of the consequences they would face if their relationship ever came into the light, not only when it came to the Jedi Council, but even their closest friends Meetra and Alek. Given the turbulent time that the galaxy was going through ever since the war with Exar Kun, she believed that they could ill-afford to let their judgement be clouded by their emotions.
And yet…it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
She immediately felt at peace following their first impassioned embrace. Despite that one voice which cried out in her head warning of catastrophe if they were ever found out by anyone, she simply didn't care. After all, he had always promised and swore to protect her no matter what the situation. Surely he could do that? Yes, of course he could.
Still, a question lingered in her mind, and it needed answering. "Revan, may I ask you something?" she said gently, feeling a bit drowsy due to her fatigue and the bliss that Revan's hands bestowed on her shoulders.
Revan smirked. "Since when did you need permission to?"
She smiled, glad that she made such a fine choice when it came to choosing a potential future spouse. But then her expression grew more shadowy as her mind flicked back to an anxious thought. "The worst of the Trials is arguably behind me, but I've been thinking about what comes after I pass them all."
"You become a full-fledged Jedi Knight, and we can go on missions together. What's there to be so anxious about?"
"That's exactly what I'm worried about, Revan," she stirred from under him and turned to look into his eyes. She held his hand firmly, as if she wanted to drive home an urgent message. "We may be able to keep our relationship secret for now, but what'll happen if we keep on going on missions together after I achieve Knighthood? Don't you think that at least one person will begin to suspect our relationship?"
Revan paused in silence and looked at her eyes intently. She did have a point, after all. As calm and optimistic as he was, even Revan himself felt that there was truth behind her words. "You might be right about that, Elena. Even if our relationship is known only between us and Alek and Meetra, there's no knowing if details of it could leak to others. But there's other ways we could go besides undertaking joint missions, you know."
Elena raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Revan lay next to her side-on and continued to talk to her. "You should know that not all Jedi Knights just head straight-on into missions after achieving Knighthood. Some of them stay in the Academy and opt to take up the responsibility of training Padawans of their own. Frankly, I think you'd be a great teacher, Elena, because you possess more patience than anyone else I've met."
She cocked her head sideways and looked at him with uncertainty. "You really think so?"
He nodded. "Definitely. Alek, Meetra and I…we're more of the traveling type. We can never bear to stay inactive or passive for a long time. None of us possess the patience that you do. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll one day develop into a great teacher." He peered down at her hand which lay over her abdomen and held it lovingly. "Not to mention a wonderful mother."
Elena immediately blushed red and squeezed Revan's hand. "Oh, stop it, you." She chuckled for a moment, but then when she thought of the prospect of living with Revan as she so dearly wanted, another issue came to mind. "I know we want to go down this road, but if we do, it's inevitable that we must leave the Order someday. Things like these…they just have a tendency of being discovered, you know?"
"I have no real problems with that," Revan insisted with a shrug. "What's the worst that could happen? We surrender our lightsabers and leave the Order. We can always build new ones when we have the means and resources to."
"But the Order's all we have! Just how are we supposed to support ourselves if we get kicked out?"
Revan grinned. "I guess I'll have to look for missions to undertake either on Nar Shadaa, Ord Mantell, or on a planet in Hutt Space. We could probably acquire tons of credits by busting a smuggling ring or crime lord and buy a place on Coruscant. I'm confident I could pull it off, aren't you?"
Elena chuckled and brushed the tips of her fingers upon Revan's chin. "You're supremely overconfident about almost everything, you know that?"
Revan smiled broadly and leaned in for a kiss. "Better to be overconfident and fill you with optimism than be pessimistic and fill you with doubt, isn't it?"
The two shared a deep and meaningful kiss as they lay in each other's arms on the bed. Elena completely forgot about the lingering aches in her back, wholly taken in by Revan's passionate embrace. The heat of the moment having settled down, they held each other warmly and silently, feeling at peace as they listened to the night wildlife in the distance. If only every night could be like this…
Just before she felt herself drifting off to sleep, Elena drearily opened her eyes again and spoke softly to her lover. "You should get back to your own dorm now, you know. It's getting late, and we wouldn't want to be found by someone like this in the morning."
"You're right, I should go," Revan reluctantly sighed and kissed her on the forehead, but was still slightly reluctant to break out of the blissful embrace they were currently in. "I guess I'll have to get back to you in the morning and—"
The couple froze, and the blood seemed to turn into ice water in their veins the moment they heard the door creak open silently. A soft panting could be heard from the doorway as the shadowy figure entered Elena's dorm. Then, the figure spoke quietly in the darkness, revealing its identity to them.
"Elena! I heard that you passed your latest Trial, and—!" Meetra Surik, the dear friend of both Revan and Elena stood on in shocked silence the moment she beheld the two in each other's loving arms. The bouquet of white and red Nabooian roses – Elena's favourite from her homeworld – dropped from her hand, and the small white ribbon which held them together came loose and sent the roses in disarray as they fell onto the floor.
Revan and Elena looked at their friend with wide and terrified eyes, the latter close to breaking down in tears as she was suddenly held in a vicegrip by her own fear. Their fate now lay in the hands of Meetra Surik, and whether or not she would be generous enough to keep their secret well-concealed from all. The female Jedi Knight's heart began to pound and beat faster and faster with each passing second, as she knew all too well that she would now be forced to choose between her loyalty to the Jedi Order's teachings, and the happiness of her two friends.
-o-
Having fallen into a brief period of slumber after being overwhelmed by the pain she felt in her back through her long-established Force bond with Revan, Elena tiredly opened her eyes upon feeling Bastila's hands shake her about. She lifted her heavy head out of Bastila's knees, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light of the sun that shone down upon her, albeit moderately blocked by the clouds overhead which were beginning to grow darker and thicker. A soft roll of thunder came from the distance, heralding the coming of what would undoubtedly be a rainstorm.
"Elena! Elena, wake up!" her former pupil implored, squeezing her shoulders.
"Is it…is it over?" Elena asked, her heart beginning to beat faster as she remembered the events which led to her passing out. "Is he safe?"
"Yes, he is," Bastila nodded with a smile. "I can feel his presence, and he is much stronger and more determined now."
"That's…that's good," Elena mustered up a tiny smile of her own. But then, her smile turned upside down and into a frown the moment she recalled the contents of her dream. She thought of her dear friend Meetra Surik who was somewhere out there, wandering aimlessly in the Outer Rim territories. Having grown up with the exiled Jedi Knight, Elena knew all too well that Meetra thrived in company and enjoyed being in the presence of her friends, but was like an empty, desolate shell when she was all alone. Meetra was like a sister to her ever since her first week as a youngling in the Dantooine Academy, always looking out for and caring for her, especially when she was downhearted and alone. The exiled woman had even declined Elena's offer to move in temporarily into her Coruscant apartment which she once shared with Revan; a sure sign that she had clearly moved on and had forsaken the company of others.
Still, it felt so unfair, what the Council did to her. Elena could still remember the deathly white and emotionless face that Meetra displayed as she departed the High Council chamber on Coruscant and walked past her in the main hall without saying a single word. Even when Elena turned and grabbed her tightly by the hand, Meetra proceeded to walk away silently, her hand slipping out of Elena's grip.
And all of this occurred because of the fiancé she now sought to desperately protect against any and all dangers.
Her mind was still filled with countless questions she wanted to ask of him: why did he order Meetra to do what she did at Malachor V? Why had he so callously used her? But above all, what made him break his promise to her by returning to the galaxy not as the man she loved, but as a conquering tyrant?
But as always, such questions could never be immediately answered, especially given the amnesiac state Revan was currently in.
"Elena? Is something wrong?" Bastila asked, concernedly placing her hand on Elena' s shoulder.
"I am…tired, Bastila," Elena said, concealing her true feelings. "After those two piercing bouts of pain, I…I need rest."
"Of course you do," Bastila nodded and helped her up onto her feet. "Come on – let's get back to the dorm. Wouldn't want Revan to see you in an exhausted wreck when he gets back, would we?"
Elena grinned weakly as Bastila supported her by the shoulder and began to walk her back towards their shared dorm. But then, the quiet noise of speeders in the distance caught her ear. The two women turned around to see, to their surprise, that their friends had returned sooner than expected – and with Juhani with them, no less. Hastily separating from Bastila in order to avoid incurring suspicion in her friends, Elena did her best to stand on her own, although it still pained her to do so.
Initially gladdened by their arrival, the smile on Elena and Bastila's faces faded once they saw Carth pick up in his arms Mission, whom he had held securely in front of him while driving her back on the speeder. The young teenager was clearly unconscious, with two nasty dark and bloodstained spots on her lower torso. However, the blood appeared to have dried some time ago, giving Elena and Bastila some peace of mind as they guessed that the Twi'lek's wounds were healed through the Force by the redeemed Juhani. But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, their eyes darted side to side, desperately looking for a beloved fiancé and friend who was not with the company.
How could this be? They knew for themselves that Revan was alive and well. They felt it through the Force! What could this mean?
"You're back!" Bastila said as she watched them approach her and Elena. "But where's Kael?"
"He's gone deeper into the cave, after saying to us that he had a vision of Revan and Malak," Canderous answered as he and Juhani who was behind him dismounted the speeder. "He couldn't put it off, I guess."
Blast! Elena silently swallowed nervously. Why does he have to act on his own? He's passed the Trial by redeeming Juhani – just what makes him confident that he can do this without me and Bastila's help?
"You actually knew that we went?" Carth asked as he took Mission up in his arms.
"We could sense you all through the Force, yes," Elena replied. "I suppose we should thank you for looking out for Kael, but…" She trailed off the moment she focused her vision on the unresponsive and unconscious young girl who was in Carth's arms.
"That's that, but we have to take care of Mission. Right now," Audrey stated, an air of rashness in her voice as she walked alongside Carth who carried Mission towards the dorms which were only a few dozen yards away from the willow tree that Elena and Bastila stood under.
"What happened to her?" Elena asked, still supported up by Bastila.
Carth explained. "Almost got killed by kath hounds. Juhani here saved Mission's life after Kael managed to turn her back to the light."
"Bastila. Elena," Juhani acknowledged each of them with a slight nod.
"W-wait a minute," Audrey shook her head as she stepped forward towards the two Jedi Knights. "You guys actually know her?"
"We do," Elena weakly said.
"You mean…the two of you actually knew that Juhani was in that cave with her friend?" Carth's voice began to rise with frustration. "Why the hell didn't you or the Council tell Kael about it before he went off?"
"Because it's part of his Trial!" Bastila argued. "A Jedi can't possibly expect to know everything about his or her mission and the dangers it poses to them before undertaking it!"
"Everyone shut the fuck up and help Mission into our dorm! Now!" Audrey shouted, incensed by their bickering. She pulled Carth along by the arm, and the Republic pilot was almost virtually dragged away by her, stumbling on his feet.
"Go," Juhani said to the others as she began to make her way towards the Council chamber within the Academy's complex. "I must now accept the judgement of the Council and face the consequences of my actions."
Although her mind was boggled by questions regarding just how Juhani was saved from her inner darkness, Bastila refrained from asking her the details as the pressing matter at hand was tending to Mission's health. However, there was one thing she had to know before she could let Juhani go to the Council.
"Juhani!" Bastila called out to her. "What happened to Belaya?"
The Cathar froze in her steps, her back turned to the others who were focused on bringing Mission into the dorm room. She replied somberly, still affected by grief over her long-time friend's fate.
"She's dead; she couldn't be saved like I was." With that, Juhani continued onward, not wishing to further converse with them until she faced the Council.
Elena felt a part of her die inside the instant she heard of Belaya's fate. She was good friends with her for slightly over a year when she was a nine year-old learner at the Coruscant Jedi Temple before being transferred to the Academy on Dantooine. She was always so gentle, so caring. It pained Elena to think that Belaya of all people could fall so far down the path of darkness, and ultimately lose her life to it.
Then, her sorrow turned to bottomless fear when she realized that what had happened to Belaya could easily happen to Revan if she and Bastila were not there to guide him. Given his enormous and endlessly growing power, what was there to stop him from falling victim once again to his own desires and betraying the cause of the Republic? And if he did, could Elena herself resist the temptation to be by the side of her fiancé?
The future was uncertain and clouded, and Elena shuddered to think what it could bring if things went as horribly wrong as she feared. Silently, she followed the others, apart from Juhani, who all accompanied Carth and Audrey to Mission and Zaalbar's dorm room, in order to do what she could for the unconscious Twi'lek. She looked over her shoulder and far into the horizon, wondering if Revan would come back to her in one piece.
-o-
Frightened beyond belief, Kael took one shaky step after step upon the damp ground of the innermost sections of the crystal cave. His lightsaber trembled in his tight grip, its blue light shaking eerily about as the Jedi hopeful spun his head side to side and pointed his weapon about every time even the slightest bit of noise pattered against his eardrums. The deeper he went into the cave, the stench of blood and decay grew stronger and stronger. The ground he treaded was sparsely covered with bones and slowly decomposing flesh – whether it was human or beast, Kael didn't want to know. Each and every step he took was a measured and calculated one, as the last thing he wanted was to alert any more beasts to his presence.
Every single fiber of his being begged Kael to turn back and run with all due haste back to the Academy. Surely he would be able to return at another time, and perhaps with company seeing how he has proved himself by passing the Trial? Was he not being stupid by putting himself into further and unnecessary danger, especially given his half-disorientated state due to his blood loss?
Yes…perhaps it would indeed be wise for me to turn back, and—
He stopped dead in his tracks. From the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he had just seen the figures of Revan and Malak walking in front of him, disappearing through another passage some distance away to the left. Petrified by the thought of pushing onward, he simply lost all track of his own heartbeat. Was it beating wildly, or was it so slow that he couldn't tell if he was alive?
Somehow and for some reason, despite all his inner warnings, Kael stepped forward again…right on top of the rotting carcass of a rat, severed in half by the stomach and its dried blood having stained the ground around it. Kael felt like his body was going to give in as he forcibly held back a torrent of vomit which threatened to escape his throat. It was hard enough to stare at the mangled and disemboweled corpse of Belaya which was presumably still being eaten whole and to the bone by the kath hound that killed her.
Bravely, he continued on, endlessly cursing in his mind the fact that he would be making himself a prime target for any beast that would be lurking in the darkness. As handy and as effective a lightsaber was in combat, the thing that Kael needed most at present was stealth and the ability to go unseen. He could only hope that the blue light of his weapon would not lead him to a premature grave.
Continuing onward, Kael breathed deeply in and out, holding back whimpers every time he saw bones with flesh still attached to them or the eyes of mauled animals which stared coldly and lifelessly at him.
Come…Join us, they seemed to speak to him. Almost invitingly, at that. Join us in this eternal, peaceful resting place…wouldn't that be lovely?
With a shudder and a pant, Kael could no longer bear to look at the dead carcasses around him. As quietly as possible, he made quick tracks to the end of the winding, natural corridor where he saw Revan and Malak's shadows depart. To his relief, the stench of death slowly left his nostrils the further in he walked the damp, rocky ground towards the end of the corridor. But as soon as he breathed a sigh of relief after managing to progress through the initial section of the cave's inner parts without any trouble, he was given a rude reminder to not let his guard down as he leaned in too close against the side wall. The sharp rocks left a nasty gash on his right arm, exposing his skin to the sting of the cold and humid air.
By now, Kael was sweating uncontrollably, half due to his own fear and half due to the inhumanely humid and damp surroundings he was in. He could barely feel his own hands which gripped for dear life against his lightsaber due to the biting cold, and to think that things were made even worse by the sheer humidity of the place which made his head heavy and dizzy…The cave itself seemed like one enormous mouse trap, just waiting to engulf and consume its prey which absent-mindedly walked deeper and deeper into it without realizing what kind danger it was in.
Somewhere, further into the cave, something was lurking within, waiting for him. He had no way of telling just what it is, but he could feel it through the Force. It would only be a matter of time.
With another fear-stricken breath, Kael treaded forward, anxious to reach the end of the corridor which was now barely in sight, perhaps twenty yards away. By now, he well and truly realized that his heart was pounding faster and with more intensity, eager to leave yet another section of the cave behind him. His footsteps mirrored his heartbeat, and he ran as quietly as possible through the corridor. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he stumbled backwards and flailed his arms about the air in a desperate attempt to prevent himself from falling over a ledge that was merely four feet away from the stone archway that he exited the corridor from. His balance regained just in time, he fell backwards in a heap, his lightsaber deactivating just before it came dangerously close to burning through the stone wall behind him, possibly alerting beasts to his presence.
He closed his eyes tightly shut. He simply couldn't take it anymore. His heart felt as if it would burst out of his chest in a desperate attempt to be free from the indescribable fear. All around him, the imaginary voices grew louder, beckoning to him…calling to him. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as Kael realized that he had only just managed to save himself from the brink of certain death.
At last summoning up the will to sit up and assess his current situation, Kael opened his eyes to behold…
…a light?
There, some distance away in front of him, was without question an eerie, bluish light – faint, but most definitely there. What was it? An important relic? A special kind of lightsaber crystal? It simply captivated his attention, causing him to crawl weakly on his hands and knees, until—
The cliff! Shoot! He had stupidly almost forgot about it, the reward for which was that his hand fell forward and brushed against yet another sharp rock. Blood seeped from the palm of Kael's hand and he cursed himself for being so clumsy. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes if he was going to leave this place alive.
His freezing hand, still gripping onto his lightsaber, came to mind as he thought of a way forward. Considering the sheer noise it would make upon activation, dare he go on and press the button to turn it on? What if the wild beasts were alerted and swarmed to his position?
Then again, switching on the weapon was the best option. After all, he could always quickly backtrack and run for his life back out the way he came. And with the Force at his disposal, and furthermore with arguably the most dangerous threat to his life in the form of Juhani and Belaya having been dealt with, there was little else he had to fear.
Or could there be?
Yes or no…
Yes or no…
Yes or no…
Feeling himself being driven mad by the intense pressure building inside of him, Kael finally decided to activate his lightsaber which came to life with a fear-inspiring crack. Using the lightsaber as a makeshift and limited torch, he observed that despite the cliff in front of him leading to a bottom which he couldn't see, there was a path just left of him which could lead him downwards. A natural stone ramp of sorts, as he judged. Cautiously and slowly, he slid inch by inch down the rough and slightly wet ramp which seemed to circle around, not wishing to risk walking for fear it may cause him to slip and fall to meet an untimely death.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Kael finally placed his foot down on what seemed to be solid ground with no elevation. Finally able to get his mind off the anxiety that affected him during his descent, he stood up and looked once again at the eerie blue light that was situated far above him. However, determined not to let himself be distracted, he first looked for another adjoining corridor to take in case things went awry. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to search long – barely a few feet in front of him lay another pathway which seemed to branch off into three separate stone corridors. With a route forward having been determined, Kael swallowed in slight nervousness as he turned right and began to walk quietly in the direction of the apparent crystal.
Still, everything about the cave bothered him immensely – the silence, the carcasses, and the smell of death which strangely began to return. Not to mention the powerful aura of the dark side which he perpetually had to guard against ever since setting foot inside the place.
I don't like this, Kael shuddered as he continued to trek as silently as possible through the damp cave floor. It's almost as if I'm being…
…watched…
Ignoring the twitching of his knees and shoulders, Kael stood still in front of what appeared to be a small mountain of smooth, white rocks which led the way towards the shining light. The cave was undoubtedly fascinating, and piqued by interest, Kael began to climb, his free left hand shivering upon contact with the cold stones while his right held his lightsaber in order to guide the way. Climbing further, he could barely make out what appeared to be another opening of sorts behind the blue crystal. Although he had no more visions of Revan and Malak to lead the way, perhaps this new entrance could provide him with some answers?
He continued to climb, higher and higher until he faced the crystal which lay directly in front of him. Upon inspection, it was a lightsaber crystal, but nothing too unique or fancy that it would've seriously interested him. Dismayed, Kael looked down and sighed, instead opting to go for the opening behind the crystal. But just as he did so, his right foot slipped, giving him a mini heart-attack as he looked down over his shoulder at three stones which clattered and fell to the ground. Hopefully it wasn't loud enough to alert any potentially lurking beasts…
In an effort to keep up his optimism, Kael looked away from the fallen rocks and back forward. But as he did so, he caught a glimpse of a most peculiar stone which lay directly beneath the stones which had already fallen. It was not smooth across its entire surface like the others, but seemed to feature a small hole of sorts, big enough to fit perhaps half a fist. A most peculiar stone, to have such a deep hole in it.
Wait a second…
Looking again just before turning his eyes forward, Kael could see another hole in the same stone, just to the right of the hole he just saw. It was equal in size and proportion, and between it and its twin hole, there was another, triangular in shape. And below that, there seemed to be a series of rectangular-shaped—
…Oh, no…
A skull.
A human skull.
His head trembling and wracked with untold fear, Kael breathed rapidly and unevenly as he brought his head forward. A shiver ran up and down his spine, and his arms just for a moment felt lifeless and cold. Out of curiosity, he reached out with his madly shaking left hand at one of the stones which lay directly in front of him. He grabbed it and pulled it out carefully before turning it over and examining what was on the other side.
…Force, save me…
He had to get out of here.
Then, before he could act, the blue light in front of him vanished into darkness, causing him to look about in panic. The very air around him seemed to go deathly cold and deep, sending his heart on a wild frenzy. Seconds later, the light of his blue lightsaber was accompanied by two bright red orbs which stood side by side. But these strange orbs…they were not orbs at all.
They were eyes.
Two eyes, as red as the hellish fire of Mustafar, stared menacingly into Kael's soul. At the center of each was a slit-shaped black pupil, exactly like that of a snake. A stomach-turning waft of foul air reeked from the mouth of the reptilian beast which's scales were as dark as night. A long, slithering, Y-shaped tongue slowly crept out of the monster's mouth and towards his face, snapping back and withdrawing just before it could make contact.
Get out of here, Kael's pounding and aching head told him. Get out, and never return.
But just when Kael began to initiate a frantic climb downwards, he felt a disgusting, wet object wrap around his ankle. The eyes in front of him shifted somewhat, almost as if the beast recoiled from some great impact.
Its tail…
Frantically, Kael wrestled against the powerful grip of the beast that would not let him go. Seeing that there was no other way, he angrily slashed the beast's tail clean off with his lightsaber. Enraged and in excruciating pain, the monster opened its mouth wide, revealing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth as it let out an ear-curdling screech which greatly pained Kael's eardrums. The hopeful Padawan fell backwards in shock, sinking deep into the mountain of skulls which began to crash down in a heap with a cataclysmic noise.
Although he was momentarily stunned, Kael realized he had no time to lose when all around him, similar screams of wild animals formed a symphony of an impending feast. He could hear the hunger in their voices. They cried for flesh – his flesh. They longed for it. Craved it. It had been too long since they could feed on meat which would satiate their hunger.
Only one thought occupied Kael's mind as he heard their cries.
Run.
He used the Force to fling away the skulls which lay around and over him, too numerous to deal with by hand. Suddenly, all around him, similar searing red eyes of bottomless hunger swarmed about the perimeter of the cave. They moved rapidly to his position, with all the savagery and mercilessness that the kath hounds had no hopes of matching. They ran on what appeared to be all fours, their webbed feet which also featured claws on the tips allowing them to move rapidly across the damp surface of the cave. While these beasts were not the size of fully-grown kath hounds, they made up for it with incomparably large numbers.
Without a second thought, Kael bolted for the pathway he had spotted earlier, not caring in the slightest about the fact that he hadn't scouted through it to see if any of the three corridors actually let to other places or were dead ends. Urging every inch of his aching body to press onward, he rushed into the pathway just before a couple of the monsters snapped at his ankles and barely missed.
Choosing the middle corridor without hesitation, Kael continued to run for his life, the limited range of his lightsaber's beam of light being hardly adequate to guide him properly. Then, as a small group of the monsters suddenly appeared in front of him, he hastily took a right that came into his view, not caring in the least where it led, so long as it didn't take him backwards. The endless shrieking that echoed against the walls and engulfed the entire place drove him mad; made him feel like his ears were bleeding. And still, he continued on, desperate to live another day in the face of the monsters lurking after him.
Another turn, and another pack of animals glaring viciously at his neck. No matter where he ran or where he turned, they were always there, hounding him. Kael's knees throbbed with unspeakable pain, and yet his mind urged him onward. He almost regretted allowing his friends to leave him earlier before he decided to go deeper into the cave alone.
Just keep on running…
Surely an exit to another part of the cave will present itself…
Just hold on a minute longer, and—
The last of Kael's optimism left him when he crashed head-first against a solid wall, a dead-end. He was knocked backwards, temporarily dazed before he reminded himself of the position he was in. Blood began to seep freshly from a nasty gash he received on the forehead as he struggled back onto his feet. Soon enough, the monsters had caught up with him, and as if they knew that their prey was cornered with no avenue of escape, they approached slowly and threateningly, saliva dripping from the sides of their mouths. Two came in at first, then followed by another…and another…they were simply too numerous to count. They gritted their sharp fangs together, walking forward as a pack towards Kael who desperately scrambled to put up one last stand.
He was too weak – too weak to even muster up the strength for a Force Push. This was the end.
Sighing and closing his eyes, Kael thought of one last time about Elena. No matter how hard he tried to persuade himself to stay true to the tenets of the Order regarding emotions during his training, he knew that it wasn't possible given his fierce heart. And above all, he came to realize the greatest truth of them all, and the reason why he could never be a true Jedi.
He loved her.
He couldn't imagine going on for another second without her.
Despite the fact that he had known her for barely over a month, Kael couldn't doubt the true feelings in his heart. He wanted to be there for her; to protect her. And now, he couldn't even fend for himself.
Resigned to accepting his fate, Kael took in one last breath as he raised his lightsaber in a Soresu stance, staring dead-straight into the eyes of the first beast which led its pack towards him. Without as much as a single warning, the beast leapt through the air towards him, and Kael rapidly turned before slicing his lightsaber cleanly through the top of the beast's head, severing it in two. The lifeless corpse soared through the air and against the wall behind Kael, which suddenly seemed to give way somewhat. Perhaps it was not as solid as he thought?
Before Kael could afford a moment to examine the wall, another beast assailed him without pause. Just like the last, he dealt a swift death blow as it crashed into the wall behind him, now well and truly giving Kael hope as he saw that its corpse had revealed a hole through the rocks which it created upon impact. Observing that the hole was just large enough for him to leap through, and seeing that staying in the tunnel was hopeless as more and more beasts emerged, Kael gambled his life and jumped through the cracks, just before another monster could take a swipe at him with its claws.
-o-
Pain…Taste blood…Can't…feel my legs…
Sometime later, Kael found himself sprawled across a cold, stone surface. At first, he feared that he would soon die the moment another pack of animals lurched towards him by following his scent, but his fears were unfounded. There was nothing but silence all around him, and Kael sighed with relief as he slowly gathered himself up and dragged himself onto his knees. Fortunately, his lightsaber was miraculously still attached to his belt, as he thought for certain that he would lose it in the chaotic fall through a muddy downward tunnel that followed after his leap of faith. Although he wished to activate it, he found that he didn't need to. He was now out of immediate danger, and a short distance in front of him, there was—
Light?
He shook his head, thinking it to be yet another trap set up by the cunning beasts. But no matter how hard he tried to judge it to be so, he couldn't question the fact that unlike the lightsaber crystal which was used as bait to lure him, there was no such object dangling in front of his eyes at present. Rather, there was a cylindrical stone pedestal atop a moderately tall stone spire. Natural stone steps twirling around the spire led the way to the pedestal, which seemed to host a strange, dark-colored object. The entire structure seemed to be lit up by a strange light from a source above, almost like sunlight with its radiance and warmth, and it stood out alone amidst the pitch-black darkness which surrounded it.
Despite his mind which implored him to resist temptation, Kael's legs began to suddenly move of their own accord, bringing him to his feet before taking him towards the spire. He ascended step by step, terrified of the consequences of what was to come. Surely it had to be some sort of trick? Some insidious design and will of the dark side?
No matter. Before he knew it, he found himself at the top of the spire, staring straight at the motionless object which lay atop the pedestal. His feet moved him forward slowly, every step echoing across the large chamber until at last he stared directly down upon a sight which made him shudder and draw back with fear.
It couldn't be.
Revan's mask…
A/N: I was going to stretch this chapter longer, but simply couldn't. I didn't want to write another huge one like I did in the last chapter, which really drained me. We'll find out what happens to Kael in the next chapter.
Hat-tip to the game Amnesia: Justine, which was the inspiration behind everything that went on in the cave in this chapter. I wanted to create a sense of the fearful ambience that you'd feel when playing that game in this chapter, especially with the monsters chasing after Kael. It was very entertaining to write that section while listening to the absolutely terrifying Suitor Chase Theme from Amnesia: Justine with headphones on, haha.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take a bit of break from writing – maybe one or two weeks, tops, so don't worry too much. Over the course of July, I've written up close to 50,000 words across my three active stories – this one, as well as "Heart of a Padawan", and my Walking Dead fic, "A Twist of Fate". I've got a persistent mild headache as a result, and I really do need to take a break because I don't want to start semester 2 of university while suffering from major stress. Rest assured I'll ease back into writing when the time is right.
Until next time, please leave your reviews!