The Grey in the Fire

[Xavius Bain]

Rocks and debris flew all around the trio with every movement of the massive rotting dragon that faced the trio. Kole’s combat style assisted aptly to dodging debris, as his flashy, quick, aerial attack of Form IV meant he could maneuver through the debris, strike his opponent and exit out. He didn’t seem to do much striking, taking cues from his master and using all of his energy to avoid the incapacitating sludge that Blood was unfortunate enough to take a brunt of.

The dragon was focused on Xavius Bain, who moved with impossible speed to maneuver through sludge, and then the whip of a tail. His intensive study of lightsaber combat meant he had studied the moves of the dragons, their unique attacks being the birthplace for an archaic form in itself. The Shadow Lord’s blend of lightsaber forms made him very difficult to read from the perspective of a duelist, but a dragon cared little for what their opponent was doing. The relentless attack aimed to muscle through anything that Xavius could put forward, despite the Shadow lord being relentless in his own right.

The dragon’s tail struck Kole, mid combination, out of the air sending him flying into the walls of the cave as its head snarled at Xavius Bain's constant unpredictable movement. With each opening, Xavius closed the gap with a strike from his lightwhip, taking chunks out of the rotting scales that armored the dragon’s body with each breach.

The Shadow Lord’s cold calmness never broke, his focus and unity with the force becoming more and more apparent to anyone that could sense him. The blends of Djem So strikes with Ataru movement meant that many of the lightsaber and whip strikes connected, all the while avoiding the dragon’s deadly attacks.

But soon, it became apparent that while it seemed that the Shadow Lord was making headway in bringing the dragon down, it was as difficult to bring down something that was already dead as he previously deduced. His strikes moved to the defensive, keeping the attention on him but also giving a second to collect his thoughts. Blood and Kole would come to the same conclusion, if they haven’t noticed it already.

The dragon sensed the change in form, and lunged forward towards the Shadow Lord. It almost took a piece of the Shadow with his claws, but found only black cloak as it swiped. Xavius used the momentum against the dragon, circling around the rotting flesh and finding himself passing over the beast, giving them some distance once more.

Time was of the essence.

Though Xavius could keep this pace for a long time, he also safely concluded that he couldn’t outlast something that was possessed or reanimated. They would need a different tactic, and quickly. The dragon sent another spray of liquid towards the Shadow once more, and this time with a sudden burst of energy, black fire surged from Xavius Bain, meeting the ice cold sludge with unnatural heat and powerful force energy. The sludge erupted in black, hissing and steaming with a deafening scream, but did not slow down. It took a great deal of finesse to avoid being welded down to the cave behind him, but the Shadow Lord narrowly avoided the deadly combination of liquid and fire.

He looked toward Blood, whom had freed himself at this point and no words needed to be exchanged to know what he was thinking.

It was going to take a lot more than simply combat skill to take down this abomination.

[Slade Xandir]

He had in fact pulled himself free, burning the tar through the heating of fire, which ironically hardened it, and made it frail. Just as he landed back on the floor of the den, Blood caught that dark eye set from the Shadow and they connected on the same thought. If physical combat couldn't bring this beast down, then the elements themselves would.

Blood felt the Dark Side whispering mesmerizingly in his ear, tugging the lobe in a caress that distracted his intent.
'Let him fight,
Let him weaken,
Let him be consumed.

All is lost for him,
He fights for naught,
Leave him and the child to their doom.'

Poetic, seductive, telling. This was the man who fought his Master, who beat his Master; why was he helping him take what power he could gain? He and Kole could be left here, left to be ruined and corrupted by the Force in this cave, and that would be his victory, his ending, his proper win for the whole of the Sith,
For Tormentous.

Another roar shook the cave as more boned claws and hunks of rotted appendages struck out against the Shadow Lord while Blood pulled himself from the reverie. The dragon rider made up his mind, turning to Kole who was squirming against the wall he was stuck on. Still-warm hands threw a controlled inferno at the boy, directed towards the goo that now hardened, and brittlized, decomposing into glass and ash. Kole broke through, and Blood turned a furious glare to the hateful corpse. No one, not even the Force, had command over his desires.
They were his decisions, and his alone to make.

That very same fire swirled around his hands, and Blood snarled a rebellious growl at the now tri-attacked dragon. "Kole, if you have magical abilities, elements, manipulation over fire, ice, or water, over ground, over rock, air, use them, and do not stop until that thing stops attacking your master."

It was then Blood heaved heavy breath into his lungs and directed a wave of fire at the distracted dragon, his hands pouring energy out, and with each breath he recycled the energy. The Dark Side seeped every crevice of this cave, and it was near limitless. This was boundless energy for him, and as a Dark Sider, there was no stopping his personal gluttony and greed to use it all. That very voracious hunger to have it all drove him to pull and push more energy out from his hands, and the intensity of the fire met weak flesh. Rotted meat became more pungent as it seared and burned at his attacks. This in itself was risky, as the Dragon now took attention to the man who was causing him more damage. This gave Xavius and Kole an opportunity. For what, to move, to grab the holocron and escape? To land a final blow? All, to be exact. But Blood's fury at the Dark Side here attempting to manipulate him surpassed the urge to run from this fight, so if they were going to make their moves, it had to be now.

[Xavius Bain]

This opportunity would not last long. The dragon reeled its head and shifted focus to Blood. The Shadow Lord could feel the dark side emanating from the Sith, and it whether it was from the sith’s angry attempt, or simply the energy of this place, darkness welled up inside the Shadow.

Classically emotionless, he could suddenly visualize every time he was wronged in his life. He could see the final light of Dathomir through the hull in his ship, he could see his apprentices slaughtered, he could see Krynn standing with Tormentous, While he normally allowed each moment to shape him, however detached he may be, Xavius let the force take over until it fermented into one simple emotion.

Anger.

The fire that escaped from Xavius Bain this time was surged with the fury of the dark side. His black eyes burned, his lips curling into a wicked snarl. The blast hit the dragon in the side, and Xavius did not relent. Kole joined in as well, causing rocks and debris to crumble onto the ferocious undead dragon. He looked up at his master, who continued his marvelous display of power as he and Blood took down the dragon, and with a speed so inhuman it was almost invisible to the eye, the Shadow Lord reactivated his saber and brought it through the dragons neck.

[Slade Xandir]

Blood felt that harsh turn of tide from the packbrother who turned from calm and collected into a savage and merciless demon. The Capasite blurred into a single shape, a orb or havoc who spun death from furious blows. Blood felt the full pull of the heat the Dark One emanated in his growing wrath, and together he both fed from it and radiated his own emotional connection to the ally. Through bolstering one another, their powers grew past any single Sith, and triumphed what evil possessed the dragon. The inhabitant grew fearful, the dragons movements growing wild and less controlled, so the was nothing prepared for that lethal heated plasma sword which pierced grotesque flesh.

Gagging commenced as the dragon was unable to retaliate with it's more useful attack; it's viscous sludge. It's esophagus was seared to closure, and it was unable to attack in that fashion. Immediately a brisk arm rose to clasp a rigid and deadly hold on Xavius, yet Blood found this as soon as the arm began it's ascent. Leaping unnaturally high, his right arm flicked forward and extended his saber to release from it's forearm under-sheath mechanic. Grabbing and activating the weapon, Blood threw his left hand forward, blurring his initial sight with a volley of flames, as his right brought a vertical slash directly where he last saw the right arm to be.

If the dragon was no longer capable of spitting it's vile muck, then hopefully it would lose limbs and not be capable of using those either if they were seared off. As he landed, a tremendous screech rocked the cavern as the Dragon did in fact lose it's arm, rendering Xavius safe from that particular attack, yet the dragon screeched from rage, not pain. A gaping empty gaze from a rotted hollow eye socket paired with a radiant red as it's fury sat bearing directly onto Blood. However just before it could bring forth another attack, a gigantic boulder of unmeltable rock and ice bashed across the skull of the dragon as Kole brought his own power to the table, smashing the weakening skull into a frothy mess. Directly downwards the dragon's forward fell, as it slumped into an unmoving mass that was bleeding dark and matted chunks of goo across the frozen floor.

It was over; with teamwork and determination, they triumphed. The body began to melt into a puddle of garble and bubbling mess, hissing and popping. Taking steps around the seemingly acidic mess, Blood side stepped until he reached the area behind the body. Dug out of the wall was a small chamber, a pedestal holding a no longer shielded holocron.

"Back here," he called out to the pair.

The cave felt much more stable, light seeming to gently pour back into the room as the remnants of the Dark Side's influence spilled out of it. It became much more confined in space, limiting itself to just where the holocron sat.
He would not touch it. This was what Xavius wanted, so he would be the first to have that honor, if it could be labeled as such.

[Xavius Bain]

After his display of rage, the Shadow lord quickly took back on his signature calm, cold demeanor. His eyes were locked on his prize, and the trio had conquered the first obstacle. The Shadow Lord knew that this was only the beginning. A tough physical challenge, sure, but Sith holocrons were tricky. Not just anyone could unlock their power, the ancient Sith made sure of that.

But Xavius Bain was not just anyone…

The Shadow walked up to the triangular relic and lifted it into the air to inspect. The weight of it was surprising considering its size, and Xavius could feel the dark energy of the force swirling throughout it.

“You want power? This is the key for both of us.” The Shadow hissed to the Sith. Kole stood silently, carefully observing his master and their dark companion. “Do you know who constructed it?” He asked Blood. This information would likely help Xavius unlock the information trapped inside.

[Slade Xandir]

Coming from around the puddle, Blood felt the immediate dissipation and reabsorption of emotions as the Dark One regained his original composure; it was almost amazing, but Blood could dwindle between being a madman and a gentleman, as well. The Void Walker did it so pristinely though, cut cross and clean, effortless, whereas Blood had to struggle such a swap. He had so much he could learn from this being..

“You want power? This is the key for both of us.”

As telling as it was, Blood did not take such chances. He held his intentions of gaining power from study of his former Master's own Holocron, as he still had such a long ways to go before being capable of even touching the regal pyramid. However, this might have been something that allowed for him to have a practice trial, a starter course. Holocrons were usually protected by spells, whether it be insanity curses, numbification wards, or even instant and permanent blindness. Anything could be harbored across the lattices of this gem.

“Do you know who constructed it?”

The words skipped light across his mind, picking and prodding his memory, but ultimately, nothing was found. He had never seen nor heard of anyone being in this general area, let alone down here contracting a Holocron.

"I do not, but it must have been someone fearless if they spent their time constructing it on an Imperial planet, especially if it were in the den of a dragon. But in the Force, anything is possible."

Blood analyzed it, his Senses sniffing around the aura radiating from this pyramid. It was a bit unknown, and the only other Lord he had tasted in the Force was Tormentous. Kroxata surely could not be powerful enough to make a holocron yet, and neither was he. Dastan? Mayhap not, but he hadn't trialed anything with him yet.

"I think a well known Sith might have had it more protected than this dragon; perhaps in a special ruin or something. This was almost childsplay, despite the challenge...So through my observing, I assume this to be someone of lesser value, someone who hastily made this and left it here. But then again, I could be wrong."

Nothing was certain, and considering his lack of experience with holocrons, he had no heavy weight in his speculations other than common sense and assumptions. Turning a golden gaze to the dark vacuums on the Shadow Lord's face, the Sith waited for the next pin to drop.

[Xavius Bain]

Nothing was certain indeed.

“It’s possible, but this is only the beginning of unlocking it. Ancient Sith constructed holocrons, but wanted to ensure that only worthy Sith would have access to their power.”

The comment was said with a hint of arrogance, though his tone was its usual emotionless timbre. Xavius walked a bath between light and dark, only interested in mastering and manipulating the force itself. What side mattered little to the Shadow Lord.

It was then that the Shadow lord placed the pyramid down, and sat cross legged in front of it. Nodding for the two to do the same, he began to focus on the currents of the force. It wasn’t quite meditation, as he would need to tap into his darker nature in order for the holocron to unlock.

Similarly to when they fought the dragon, Xavius tapped into the dark side of the force once more. It was a challenge for him to do without some deal of focus, as the emotional, vengeful side of the force meant that the weilder needed to be able to focus on their anger and hatred. But Xavius Bain was not angry by nature. The cold, calculated killer did so without any feelings of hatred, remorse, or anger. But he was a masterful force user, and while his emotions weren’t traditional, he was able to tap in all the same.

Anger.

How many lives were stolen from the Shadow Lord? Each one was visualized. Each defeat great in his mind. Xavius Bain had lost people, and even the one planet he finally found to call home. He could see Dathomir’s destruction clear as day.

Wrath.

The Shadow lord struck down the scientists that created him. That robbed him of his mind. Of a childhood. He saw the screaming faces become mangled and twisted by his black fire, his blade, and his whip. The cries for mercy echoed in the metal room until they were silenced.

He pushed the light out of his mind, and allowed himself to be consumed by the dark side of the force, and as he did the pyramid began to glow a bright red, and lift into the air.

But it wasn’t open quite yet….

[Slade Xandir]

“It’s possible, but this is only the beginning of unlocking it. Ancient Sith constructed holocrons, but wanted to ensure that only worthy Sith would have access to their power.”

Blood was too focused on analyzing the holocron to catch the near imperceptible lilt of snark in the Shadow Lord. His interest was with learning currently, and if this man was here to show him how it was meant to get done, then his emotions, most especially pride, was to be put aside for now. All to be left was open inquisition, and that was all he gave. Curiosity and the desire to learn how to deal with these things in the future.

Taking the cue from the experienced Force Wielder, Blood lowered himself onto the frozen rocky floor of the cavern, the scales in his armor echoing a whisk of serpentine scuttles in the air around them. After he stilled himself, the draconic armor, his breathing, all became quiet.

Golden eyes within became fresh shown to the world as he removed his helm from his head, the demonically sinister seeming helmet being sat down on the permafozen floor. His sole attention was not only on the holocron itself, but how Xavius was manipulating the Force to get inside that mysterious pyramid. Almost like a turret-wave of power began to manifest, swelling in a noxious tide of heat, building, folding on itself, doubling in size, and repeating the addition until it was almost stifling.

This must have been power of the Shadow Lord. It was emanating from him, after all, and Blood could smell the luring pull of the heavy cologne within his own web of Dark Side energy. Almost wanting to attach itself to Xavius' own gravitational influence, Blood's own Dark Side swayed with each torrential movement released and influxed by the Void Master.

It soon became too much for him to resist. Blood felt himself giving ounces of his own power into the helix of sin Xavius was summoning. It was sliding from between his webs strands, not necessarily breaking down, but trickling into the cyclone of power Xavius was conjuring. Piloting the strands into the minor crevices the Dark One's whirl was splintered by. Filling the holes, the wrath pulled to surface was unstoppable, surely enough to fell planets, Blood assumed.

Faster and faster the pyramid spun, reeling almost fast enough to almost appear as though it weren't spinning. Then with startling motion, there was lack of it. The pyramid stopped spinning, with such a sudden lack of jerking or even following momentum, it was definitely unnatural.
The very tip of the holocron began to split, releasing a film of wispy substance, as the ritual began to have actual effect on the mystical object.

With his face visibly scrunched in confusion, Blood searched the situation, undyingly serious in his search to find what else caused a reaction from this foreign object. A sacrifice, blood, or a freed organ? Currency? What was next?

[Xavius Bain]

The relic had a sinister effect on the three, twisting and influencing the minds of any willing to succumb to it. The unnatural movements were hypnotizing, and though there was progress being made, mistakes now would have dire effects. It would drive an average mind insane, but these were not average minds.

You are mine.

The thought came to Xavius’s mind, and he wasn’t entirely sure if it were his own. What he knew was what the ancient Sith lord’s must have felt before unlocking a holocron. While there was information he needed inside, it was his information to take.

The Shadow lord stood, unnatural fire blazing from his synthetic eyes. His lips curled, and his fingers closed into fists.

Enough tests.

The Shadow Lord focused deeply on the pyramid. If it wouldn’t open, he would force it open, before they were tricked into destroyed each other. He could feel its inner workings, the complex labyrinth that protected it like a safe. Using the force as his guide, Xavius manipulated the energy inside. It took almost all of his energy, but he did not surrender. Black fire blazed from the Shadow Lord, into the holocron, and Xavius put every ounce of power into forcing it open. The pyramid began to sputter, attempting once more to drive the trio into permanent insanity, but Xavius’s mastery of the force kept him present.

With a final release of power, the holocron lowered to the ground, and the tip of the pyramid opened. A smoke like projection of massive scale released, and looked into the eyes of the three, a wicked snarl the only visible part of the man’s mangled face. The armor the man wore was similar to Blood’s, seemingly made from the scales and hide of a dragon but the exaggerated features made the projection of this Sith Lord look almost like a dragon himself. It was assisted by the helmet, clearly made from the head of a dead beast, still almost entirely intact. It was a mystery if this were truly the armor the man wore, or if this was simply the image he wanted to be remembered by. Though many believed that the stories often exaggerated some of the powers of the ancient masters, Xavius knew better. The force was his to manipulate, not the other way around.

And the Shadow Lord’s emotionless face matched the projection, his sinful smile projecting its own victory.

[Slade Xandir]

[Much apologies for the MIA-ness. Was quite busy.]




Blood felt something more than just entanglement of the Force within the display before them It was almost as though his already desecrated mind was preparing to be split again, and that was somethin he was not having. There was barely enough room for two personas, and they would all suffocate if a third were bred between them. His own distaste for that reared against the influence of the holocron, his golden eyes bleeding a sickening red around the pupil, the gold smoldering into a ferocious yellow, tinged with some sickening acidity. The Sithian knew well enough his power, and his level of Control, Sense, and Alteration, along with his own self discipline would see his through this painful path of onslaught this holocron was attempting to reap upon them.

However, within these precious moments, he briefly wondered...how did Kole fare through this wicked situation?

The sear of pain reached almost cataclysmically high for Blood, yet he kept his bared fangs a testament to his resilience. His head however was tilt down as he continued to endure the fervor of this weapon. Nothing but power was sure to come of this, and he would continue to tell himself that until this maddening agony was over.
And almost like a whisk of freshened air, it was.

The heft of pressure was freed from his mind as the holocron met the frosty floor of the cavern, but with it fumed an excess of mystical smoke. Within it, a face, one he recognized nothin of. He did admire the armor, though, he noted as he brought his face back to level.

"Who harbors this holocron?" he directed the obvious question to the unfurled image within the holocron as his head tilted back to witness this illusion.