Yerbol's already heightened senses went into alarm when Aria vehemently objected to the touching of her foot, grabbing his saber and about to ignite it when he looked down, nervously chuckling while another soft breeze floated through the maze of trees.
"Yeah...yeah it is. Like walking through a cemetery at night or-" It was soft, delicate, almost undetectable, but he knew he had heard it. A cackle. Filled with malice, bloodlust, disgust, his mouth once again tasting coppery.
"That wasn't my imagination. I know it wasn't." The incorporeal Whispers grew in number, surrounding them, uttering nonsensical phrases that sounded like jibberish spouted in hushed, harsh tones. Yerbol's back stiffened, arm protectively wrapping around Aria's waist and another dangling at his side, grip on his saber tightening with every step they took forward. The trees began to grow sparser in number, a smooth stone barrier about ten feet in height marking an end to the forest. Or the part that others were allowed access to? Reluctantly slipping the arm that had been around Aria back to his side, he approached the barrier, hand running across the surface.
"It's freezing cold." He muttered, turning back to his companion just as a few droplets of rain hit his scalp. Turning his head upward, he noted the black clouds that they had managed to outrun when descending to the planet and grimaced.
"Right. So we should probably head back to the ship unless we want to explore a spooky place with whispering echoes of the Force in the cold, dark, wet night."
Close. So close.
Renso's voice had become unmistakable.
Who? What? Are we close to you?
Nuncata. Come quickly.
Where on Nuncata?
After a minute or two of reaching out from the duo and receiving nothing but silence, Yerbol motioned back towards the dense maze of trees they had just emerged out of.
"At least we know he's not here, right? Maybe we tapped into the energy here and he was able to reach us...or something." Taking a few steps past her was all he could muster before Taral bumped his leg.
"What? What is it?" A gruff snort and a head nod towards the wall prompted the Champion to turn, Whispers growing louder as a minute crack blemished the surface of the barrier.
"That wasn't..."
Wolves asleep amidst the trees
Bats all a swaying in the breeze
But one soul lies anxious wide awake
Another crack on the wall, larger this time, stone crumbling under the pressure as the Whispers grew in volume, chanting, almost singing the phrases over and over. Saber now ignited, Yerbol stood next to Aria, knees bent, muscles tensing.
But heartache and woe
Deep, deep woe
Birds are silent for the night
The Tuk'ata growled, snapping at the wall before galloping in front of the duo, their thick musculature on alert. He wanted to speak, to try to shout the Whispers into submission, but he knew, he KNEW that it was impossible, they would continue to sing, to bore their melodic death sentence into their skulls until they were paralyzed with an overwhelming fear, that-
Lie still, lie silent, utter no cries
As we cut
And eat
You
Whole
The wall shattered, swift forms bursting from the now gaping chasm in the once solid barrier. The forms were hunched over, their breathing loud and heavy until they straightened up, crimson red corneas framed around jet black, sickly blue skin slick with the now pouring rain. There were three of them, humanoid in form. Two males(from what Yerbol could guess) were clothed in tattered beige shorts, red stripes on their exposed chests and torsos. The woman had similarly tattered garments that covered her chest and upper legs with stripes across her abdomen and forehead, rusty piercing through her chin.
"Chusu mena?" The man on the right of the woman asked, looking to her with a smirk. The woman nodded.
"Maito judena." Their eyes locked on the duo, the woman hissing out in accented Basic:
"Sith? How flattering." Before Yerbol could object, the men thrust their hands out, lightning crackling from their fingertips. Thankfully Yerbol was already on guard, raising his saber a millisecond before the bolts connected, his massive frame being driven back by the sheer force of their attack. The Tuk'ata roared, charging forward to presumably eviscerate(or try to) the attackers, which distracted the men just enough for the lightning to cease. Yerbol leaped into the air, attempting a downward slash at the man on the left, who swiftly dodged, laughing maniacally as he slammed an elbow into Yerbol's ribs and nearly connected with a haymaker if it wasn't for Yerbol ducking at the last moment, slicing at the blue man's ankles, severing feet from leg, prompting a howl of agony.
Right. This was going to be interesting.
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The Elvenqueen