-|| Location: UNKNOWN, Netherworld
-|| Theme: Flickering Shadows
When the rift vanished before his eyes, Elias struggled to comprehend what he saw. The portal swirled, shrinking until it was little more than a bright white speck floating before him. Then, it was gone without a trace. No debris or soot, not even dust. Only obsidian beneath his boots and the swirling purple sky above remained.
Elias felt panic begin to rise in his belly, but he remembered wise words that his mother once shared when he was young: “You’re never stuck, baby. You just gotta look harder for the exit.” Mama Edo always knew what to say and when to say it – and if she said, it was the truth.
He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. The sulfurous air stung his nostrils, but Elias ignored the wretched stench of the Netherworld. He tried to empty his mind and establish a link to the Force in hopes of reaching Efret or any of the Shirayans, but he found nothing to reach. Not because they simply weren’t there, but because there was no connection between himself and the Force at all… something about this place must be dampening his abilities.
Elias’ body remained perfectly still, save for his eyes which slowly opened to watch the rolling storm on the horizon. Dark, angry clouds lit up sporadically with neon pink lightning that illuminated an endless sea of inky liquid. In the far distance, cliffs crumbled silently into the sea as the shadow of the storm covered them. It was difficult to ascertain from here just how much time Elias had, but it was quite clear the answer wasn’t favorable. He needed to move, but where?
“Think, man, think!” Elias grumbled aloud.
His eyes darted across the landscape. He could head for the jagged brimstone hills that surrounded the outskirts of the twisted mirror of Theed, or he could risk returning to the city proper once more. It was unlikely that the buildings could shelter him from the dark storm, but he figured his chances were better indoors than in the craggy peaks.
If he encountered any demons on the way, well, he’d have to do to them what he did to the rest. Elias’ fear of pack tactics had been cured by the rawest form of exposure therapy on Kenari, when he and Nathan Bloodscrawl destroyed a facility overrun by drengir mutants. He felt confident in his ability to defend himself alone against a pack of monsters here.
Not hesitating, Elias checked the lightsaber that hung from his side and set out for the mirrored city. The corpses of slain Knights and demons littered the fractured street. From each of them, wisps of smoke and shimmering black dust rose up into the air with direction, as if the strange particles were being siphoned. Elias chanced a moment to kneel and examine on of the fallen Jedi. He rolled the young man over and felt his stomach drop when he saw that the mist was rising from blackened eyes and an open mouth. It wasn't safe here. Force or not, he felt that something dangerous was nearby.
Mama Edo’s voice echoed in his mind again: “Run, boy!”
Elias launched in a sprint, running through the streets. In his head, it made sense to get to the Royal Palace. It was the easily recognizable and the most likely place for other survivors to gather. No demons stepped out to intercept him, but as he moved, he could swear that the misty corpses were moving too. A hasty glance over his shoulder confirmed it; the dead were rising and closing in while his back was turned.
“Feth,” Elias spat. He snatched his lightsaber from his belt and clutched it tightly, thumb resting on the switch to ignite it if one of the husks got too close.
Each street seemed longer than the last, and no matter how close he felt he was to the palace, it seemed just one block further when he looked for its domed roof. He nearly tripped over one of the husks, which he realized, after catching his balance, had tried to grab his leg as he passed by it. Elias’ lungs burned from the toxic atmosphere but he pushed ahead. If he slowed, the husks would catch him.
By the time he finally reached the Royal Palace, the hissing from the husks behind him was so loud that it drowned out the sound of his own breathing. Elias’ hands met the massive doors and threw them open with raw strength that only manifested when one’s life depended on it. He slammed them shut with the same force and moved fast to drag broken furniture and debris to barricade himself inside. Husks gasped and groaned on the other side, banging their soot-stained fists against the doors. Even as a hoard, they appeared to lack the strength to break through. Elias hoped they’d lose interest and return to their slumber before a more serious form of demon took notice.
He regulated his breathing as he moved about the massive chamber. Elias’ time on Naboo was brief, especially within its capitol building, but he was surprised to see so much of it replicated with accuracy. His fingers ran gently over a gilded handrail, or so he assumed; the hazy atmosphere gave everything a slightly pinkish hue. The effect seemed less drastic indoors. With raps at the entrance continuing, Elias resolved to take a breather and explore the Royal Palace further. He moved up the stairs and picked a corridor at random, following it to see where it lead.
Large paintings framed in elegant gold adorned the walls, presumably depicting the governors and monarchs of Naboo. His thoughts were confirmed by a portrait of Queen
Kalantha
at the end of the display. Elias stopped before her and looked up into her eyes. “So young, yet so…”“Undeserving?” a deep, unsettling voice interjected. Elias’ lightsaber was ignited before his eyes had locked on the inky shadow who spoke to him. The hallway was bathed in emerald light as the Jedi stared down what appeared to be a dark cloud with two purple eyes that bored right back into him.
It chuckled deviously at Elias’s silence. “Or were you going to say something becoming of the little pretender?”
“Wise,” Elias said curtly.
“Ah, but if she were so wise, then I wouldn’t be here.”
Elias locked his jaw, silent as he tried to comprehend what the entity was. After a moment, he asked, “And just who are you?”
It laughed again, but this time it crescendoed in a maniacal cackle that sent chills down Elias’ spine. Behind the shadowy man, a pack of husks emerged from the darkness and stood, blocking the way forward. Elias shifted his head to peer over his shoulder and saw that another pack had come behind him. He was trapped.
“I am the Archon,” the shadow said. The dust and darkness swirled gently around the entity, slowly moving faster until it coalesced into the form of a man with short hair and black eyes.
“And we are legion.”
“I’ll kill you for what you did to those Knights,” Elias snarled. The man simply smirked.
“No, you won’t. I have plans for you.”
Elias barely took a step toward the man when tendrils of ink and ash sprung forth, coiling around the Jedi’s ankles and wrists. His lightsaber was knocked from his hand, disengaging when it clattered on the marble floor. He tried to resist but the tendrils were unbreakable.
“Come with me. There’s much to discuss…” it trailed off, closing its eyes and taking in a deep breath as if sensing something in the air. When it opened its eyes again, it smiled.
“… Elias Edo.”
