Ritual - Part 2
Zaiya felt her hearts ache. Her feet wanted to drag, and it was hard to be able to pick them up and walk forward. A dark pit was forming in her belly. She was ready to face what came, but she was definitely anxious about it.
"If I… am punished, then I want to make sure you are safe, sire." She began and she felt him tense as he settled into the seat behind her.
"What are you talking about? You said you were within your tenets in your actions," he said cautiously.
"Yes, they were," she confirmed, though she did recall the last time she tried to warn him like this. It hadn't gone well. "I don't know whether they will hold to them," she admitted.
"Why wouldn't they?"
"I am corcitura."
"What does that mean…?" he asked, and she thought she felt his hand tense at her waist.
"...half-caste."
Arriving back at the temple, she was tense, but she had to keep her head high. The entire village felt on edge as she stepped off her speeder. Her head held high as Maul walked at her side and she headed into the temple calmly ready to face Mother Talzin. The woman herself stood in the centre of the main temple room, she was flanked by two Sisters, the one Zaiya had sent back to relay the message was decidedly not present.
"Come, child, the ritual may begin now…" Mother Talzin spoke with a soft tone. Zaiya was hesitant. She didn't mention the duel. At all. Surely she knew. One thing she knew from Bane, was to never offer information unless she had to, so she didn't.
"As you wish, Mother." Zaiya nodded solemnly, no doubt Talzin knew about the duel, and what had happened. She didn't know what the Matron was up to… but she wasn't sure what Talzin was up to, however she couldn't figure it out thus far. She was too unsure. Still, the ritual had to be useful, didn't it? It would give them greater power, and they would be able to leave and she could bring Maul to Kamino. She was sure that he was ready. She hoped this would be successful. She wanted to make him whole again, to make them both stronger… they would be able to take Feral and Savage out of there! They could be free.
It was the room they had been in before, though the walls covered in red fabric and tapestries were somewhat different to their last visit. The wide, previously unadorned floor now was covered in wax pourings, a large circle for the spell to be contained. Shapes and runes painted on the floor in paint made from special trees, white, red and black. Candles of various size were dotted around in groups of three or four at various points in the circle, bundles of herbal leaves and incense were placed around, some burning, others just laid there. There were bones of various size and shape, feathers and dried plants.
Most of the meanings Zaiya knew already, though not all of the flowers and placement… Perhaps she needed to study the compendium again. She was sure there was more that Mother Talzin had in her expansive library, but she had not read everything yet. Most, but not all.
"My son, Sister Valessa… the time has come for you to step forward, to take the power you desire and grow stronger. Are you ready?" Mother Talzin asked as she stood at the far end of the room to the door. The two other Sisters were on either side of the room with Zaiya and Maul standing just inside the door. Zaiya looked at him and he spoke first.
"I am ready… mother." The word from his lips made Zaiya's skin crawl, but she too looked forward.
"Yes, Mother," she replied. The Ma'tri nodded and extended her arms, urging the two of them to step forward.
Though she was hesitant, Zaiya stepped in before Maul could, just in case. She didn't know what she was expecting but she didn't trust the tall woman anymore. The two stepped into the circle and under the instructions of the great Mother, sat, legs folded opposite each other. Mother Talzin laid a small bowl filled with a strange mixture of dark reddish-orange powder between them. Once she stepped back the two Nightsisters on either side of them began to chant, something in their native tongue that was too quiet and rushed for Zaiya to grasp.
"Take the powder and inhale deeply." Talzin explained in her usual slow drawl. Zaiya knew what to do, she recognised the powder as tanyz'une, a specialised substance for their rituals that enhanced the senses and invoked visions and hallucinations. She knew what to do. Taking up the bowl she blew into it, it burst into a cloud around them and the two breathed deeply.
The chanting grew louder and she could feel the Force ripple around them, the ichor rising up and the various candle flames began to change from a warm yellow to a vibrant green. Smoke in the same hue began to fill the room and obscure her vision. The world around her became dark, fogged and obscured. Ahead of her there appeared a white ball of light. It swayed around her, almost playfully as it drew closer… She began to hear voices coming from it…
"...the Republic was… of a dark lord… Sith…?"
"...just a simple man… make my way...universe…" Some voices she seemed to recognise, they ran in and out of her mind, back and forth, a jumbled mess of noise.
"...great reluctance... love democracy... this crisis… I will lay down the powers...!"
"...failed apprentice... a foolish master!"
"...ones who guard the power... the beginning... end..."
"...cannot imagine… to stay alive… singular hatred for you..." Was that…? How could it be? Had she heard his voice?! What was this?
"...first and only reality of the Sith... no longer my apprentice..."
"Brother…" A pain gripped her and she reached for the orb, it had the power to explain these sounds! She had to know!
"No longer certain... win a war..."
"...Empire…?"
"...chosen one...! destroy the Sith… balance… force... darkness! You were my brother…!"
"...Order… sixty six…" She let out a cry of pain, her head ached so painfully, full to bursting, the words beating inside her skull.
"...no moon…"
"...always in motion is the future..."
"...one with the Force… Force is with me." There was something… just within reach-
"...is the way..."
"Rebellions... built on hope..." Then she touched it and her vision went white. It was like she could see everything. Everything that had happened, everything that would happen. She saw faces and places, she heard names and saw their paths, she witnessed the galaxy shift and change, saw it rise and fall. She saw Coruscant, Kamino, Mandalore… she saw the War, the Sith, the Jedi and their fall. She saw the Empire and all those she knew and some yet to be. Warriors and rebels, Admirals and Inquisitors, she saw the Emperor and a Sith in all black. She saw a young man in a battle and the fall once more. Everything. She saw everything. She knew everything. All that would happen and yet… she could not see her own path. She was not there. When Feral was killed and Savage was twisted into something else. When Maul sat on the throne of Mandalore. When Savage was struck down and Maul was left alone. And she was not there no trace or memory of her. What was this?! What was happening? What was she seeing?
She could feel her body tingling all over as the magick rising in her body and as though she were something far more than her regular body. She felt celestial, wild and luminous. Zaiya was suddenly connected to everything and everyone like she was free to go anywhere and do anything in the galaxy.
The sensation lasted for what felt like days, she felt that she lived through every moment she had witnessed, she had seen into the hearts and minds of everyone she encountered. Once the effects began to relax, she felt another connection. She felt a warm hand against her own. A warm golden light entered her field of view and she felt a heartbeat through the touch. She felt her body connect and the golden light flooded her consciousness. It was Maul… she knew he was the source of the energy. It felt so strong and powerful but not overwhelming. She felt a soft flutter within, like a hesitant fearful reach for her. The Nightsister reached back for him, accepting his energy without question. The fluttering became stronger, the heartbeat becoming stronger as she brought him into her arms. He was like this glowing being, warm, soft and something so deep within him that she could only see here. It felt like their energies blended and mixed together, becoming one for a moment. Their hearts beat as one and for a moment. It was as close as two beings could possibly be. She didn't know anything but the feeling of his energy in her consciousness.
The feeling began to fade, the golden light abated along with a warmth she had never known before… until the gold transitioned into green and the sensation changed completely. It was painful, biting and cold as it curled in and around her body like an icy serpent sliding and slithering over her. Like venom spreading through her and igniting the cold flames of the ichor within. Zaiya felt her habits kick in as the pain increased. Her teeth grit and she shut down completely. Eyes dropped to the floor and she forced herself to be still, curled up, her head almost touching her knees.
Give them nothing… give them nothing… The old mantra played in her head… until she could hear the cries of pain breaking through the fog around her. She knew that voice. Maul. He was in pain. No! Hadn't he been through enough? Hadn't he done enough? She had to stop this! Forcing herself up from the floor, she could see nothing around her, and the fog blurred everything. She saw a figure ahead and darted forward. The screams seemed to be coming from there… but as she drew close, the figure faded away and there was just more fog. The screams seemed to be coming from somewhere to her right this time and she darted that way where she saw another shadowy figure… but this too faded away as soon as she drew close. She heard more screams of pain and the chilling, biting cold was making it hard for her to move forward at all. There were shadowy figures all around now. Everywhere she looked. But which was the real Maul? Where was he in this seemingly endless space?!
The Nightsister took a breath and closed her eyes, forcing her panic down. She could not afford to be weak now! Not when she had a job to do! Breathing heavily with her teeth grit, she tried to focus… where was he… she let the Force guide her, listening to it and finally, finally she felt it. She felt the tug in a certain direction, her legs shook as she took each agonising step. The further she went, the harder it became and the slower her pace. The woman tried to force herself forward; she had to reach him! She had to save him! She had to make the screaming stop!
Finally she drew close enough, reaching out like she was moving through molasses, fighting with every tiny movement in order to reach out to him. But before she could touch the hunched over figure, a mix of gold and red light… as well as dark smoke, her hand was obstructed. There was some kind of barrier… why? Why couldn't she reach him?! What was happening?
Do you wish to save him? Spoke a voice from somewhere around her, though she couldn't see who had spoken. You can save him… if you take the power. Suddenly a glowing green orb drew closer to her, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Take the power… Zaiya looked to the orb, the closer it became, the colder and more painful the strange feeling coursing through her body became. She grunted and grit her teeth as the pain grew, like icicles stabbing into her arms, legs, abdomen and neck, it was biting, clawing and she could barely move. Her hands shook as she reached out. The screams were deafening… she needed to do something… she couldn't bear the sound of it, her hearts felt like they were being ripped from her chest. She couldn't let this go on. He was in pain!
A shadow loomed over her, watching… waiting. She looked up and into two glowing red orbs where the eyes should be. The power from this figure was intense. She felt so small as they loomed over her. Was this another test? Why did they feel so familiar? So many questions filled her head until- Take the power… save him… It was not really a voice, but somehow she knew that something had spoken. Was it the dark shadow before her? Another agonising scream cut the air.
Her teeth grit and before she could think clearly she reached out to the green glow, grasping the light, it was like gripping ice so cold it was burning her. As her fist closed the pain shot through her and a scream was ripped from her for the first time in nearly ten years to join the ones in the air already. Everything went white.
The next thing she knew… she was awakening slowly, her vision blurred and darkened. They were still in the ritual room, it was quiet… there were no screams. The overpowering sound was now replaced by deafening silence.
"Well done, young ones…" Mother Talzin preened as she approached them. Zaiya felt like she had just been run over by a herd of rancors… What happened? "What did you see?"
"I saw what I could be." Maul replied and Zaiya looked up sharply, making sure he was alright. "The path before me… and myself sitting on a throne…"
A throne.
Why was that so familiar? Had she seen it in her vision. She knew she'd had her mind opened… she'd seen everything… but what was that everything? Even as she sat there… it seemed so distant already, fading fast until it was like a dream she could not recall. The feeling remained, but the information was just beyond her reach. She knew what was to happen, she had seen it. The throne sounded familiar. Had she seen one? An image flashed in her mind of Maul on an angular throne, one leg propped up and his arm leaning on his knee, the sunlight streaming through the room. Was this something she had seen in the vision? Was it true?
The Nightsister looked up and sat forward to her knees as she realised mother and son were looking at her expectantly. "I saw everything," she explained. "All that was. All that is… and… all that may yet come to pass…" her gaze had dropped from Mother Talzin as she stared off into the middle distance.
"Can you still see it?" Maul asked in a rush, eager to know, it seemed.
"No," she muttered, "it's like there has been a fog in my mind… it's infuriating!" Her gloved fist slammed into the cold stone floor. Her teeth were grit and her gloves were scraped up at the knuckles.
"The power you have gained… it will bring you closer to your goals. Hone these gifts and you will be able to awaken the power and knowledge that you witnessed in the visions." Mother Talzin assured. Zaiya had a strange feeling in her chest, it felt constricted, tight and she had a hard time breathing for a moment. The voice in her head… the one she could remember… why was it so familiar? She looked up at the towering figure of the Clan Mother who smiled and reached down to help the two of them up. "Rest now, young ones, and you will soon feel the effects of this new power."
"Yes Mother," Zaiya replied, still uneasy. "I believe the time has come for us to depart on the next part of our journey." Talzin's smile widened.
"So it shall be, Sister." It was odd, she seemed more amiable now and there was a warmth to her eyes Zaiya did not recognise. Were she a tooka, the younger Nightsister would have her hackles raised. Though with nothing outwardly obvious, she stood. "With this ritual complete… I name you, Zaiya Valessa, as Alesu'le and my successor to the clan. Once you have returned my son's body to full strength, you will return here and undertake your training to learn all a Ma'tri needs to know." Talzin smiled again and Zaiya felt a sinking in her stomach. Return for training… would she ever be able to fulfil her promise to Feral and Savage and her Lord? To be free in the stars and do as they wish?
"Yes Mother," the woman responded and lowered her gaze in respect. Her hands however, clenched into fists. After a moment, the two turned away, Zaiya suddenly eager to be as far away from this room as possible. She felt like something was missing from her very heart, there was something deeply wrong and she could not put her finger on it.
"One more thing, Sister." Talzin called just as Zaiya reached the doorway. She stopped in place. "Is it true you destroyed the bodies of not only Sheena but Ulsi as well?" Suddenly the events of that day were returned to the forefront of her mind. The Duel. That's right, she had been so caught up with the strange ritual, she had dropped her guard about the fight that had happened earlier that day…
"Yes." Zaiya replied curtly, turning her head back to look at the Great Mother. There was a pause.
"Good." That was… unexpected.
"Good?" The woman repeated, and she almost heard Talzin smirk.
"They did not respect my decision nor my student… you have done well, my young wayawa." Something cold ran up Zaiya's spine.
"Thank you, Mother."
They returned to their chamber not long after and Maul could feel a tingle in his skin. What was this strange feeling? He felt a closer bond with her, like he could sense her hearts beating… was this some side effect of the spell?
True enough he had seen himself on a throne in his vision, but what he had not mentioned was seeing Zaiya as his side, not just standing to his right as his Lieutenant, but seated on a grand throne of her own, his… Queen. Could he allow it? Allow her to be so close to him? Everytime he thought of it, it was as though he were in two halves. ...metaphorically speaking. On the one hand he wanted her, he never wanted her to leave his side again, remain with him for as long as time allowed. He also wanted to make her gasp and whimper beneath him and stay in his arms and watch her face make those expressions for him and him alone… On the other side of him, he festered with rage and anger and his desire for revenge. He wished to smite his enemies and would use her to do it. This side of him hissed that she would betray him eventually too. He didn't know what part of his mind to listen to. She had not given him a reason to doubt her conviction thus far, but there was no one he could trust in this life, only himself. Surely this was the case… though as he watched her pace in front of him he felt compelled to go to her. Before he had even realised he had taken a step, he was at her side and his hand reached out to grasp her forearm gently. She stopped in place and her eyes flicked to his face at once. Was she always shorter than he was? Zaiya was a relatively tall woman and he recalled being of the same height before… Now she was actually a few inches shorter… or he was taller with these new legs… surprisingly he seemed to like it.
"...Sire?" she asked hesitantly, and he snapped from his reverie, and released her arm, unaware he had been staring.
"What are you thinking?" he asked, it came out a little more curt than he had intended it.
"Far too many things, I'm afraid," she sighed and took a seat on the bed, her hands clasped before her, elbows rested on her knees. After a moment he moved to sit beside her, though his eyes remained on her face.
"You spoke of a place called Kamino," he prompted and she turned and looked at him once more. This seemed to give her a starting point and she began to tell him her plan in more detail. About the cloning facility, about the potential to use the facility for their own purposes. She laid out her suspicions to him that his former master was behind the clone army. The mention of a man named Tyranus sparked his anger, even though he did not know the name, he did concur that this man worked for Sidious. His master had not revealed his plan in full to Maul, but the zabrak knew enough to know his former Master was intelligent enough to pull something like this off.
"It could be dangerous… especially if the Jedi are involved," he hissed after she had finished, "and you wish to stand as a member of the republic?" he queried.
"I believe it is the best way to help you," the Dawnsister insisted. She seemed adamant to stand by as his protection. He had to weigh this carefully, he could regain his body, and in some ways be the man he had been.
"You will need to be careful…" he warned, and leaned in, that feeling tugging at his chest once more. "You will be in great danger if the Jedi draw too close… I will not have the Jedi take anything else from me." His voice dropped to a low growl as he touched her chin with the crook of his index finger. "You are mine now, and you will not allow their trespasses to stand."
"I will do all I can to ensure neither of us are discovered sire," she assured him, the way her eyes, even the green one, blazed with determination, had his hearts beating faster.
"Good." he smirked.
Notes:
Well now! What do we think? Canon seemed to raise its scary head, didn't it? Were the visions good? Bad? What is the price paid for such power? Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite them.
Thank you to all those that wished me well, one item on my list of stuff is done at least, so that's something. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, it's nice to know that someone out there cares. You guys are really amazing.
As for next week, Successor part 1 will have some interesting looks into the Nightsister culture. Most of which through Maul's eyes. I hope you will enjoy!
I say it every week, but please please, I love comments and likes/kudos/votes and all that, I love hearing what you think, so thank you thank you!
See you next week!
