Crawling Up

[Amarthaer Saptheth]

Gratos​

​

It all began with what the goddess had shown her. Just recently she had been granted a vision, one that consecrated her with a new name and purpose. That name was Amarthaer Saptheth, and her purpose was to learn from those prophets that she had been shown. The goddess always protected and looked after her children, and this was no different. If she was to serve Vahl in the best way possible, then she had no choice but to follow the whispers that had crept into her mind. Those that had revealed themselves to her all but embodied the nature of the goddess herself, holding a power that was to her mesmerizing in its strength and intensity.

Finding them had proved the real difficulty, as the goddess wasn't kind enough to bestow upon her the location of these prophets. She had nothing more than a set of feelings to follow, and those led her to a planet in the Outer Rim, one known as Gratos. It had taken further research in order to learn more about just what this world held for her, and shortly after she had obtained passage in a small transport all her own. It had taken some amount of tinkering for her to determine just how the vessel functioned, but soon enough she had managed to take it to lightspeed, watching in amazement as the stars grew into lines about her. Eventually the blue whorl of lightspeed made her sick to her stomach, and so she retreated to the back to pray.

A sharp jolt pulled her immediately from the makeshift meditation, and she moved back to the front to see a desolate planet hanging in front of her, the vast emptiness of space nothing in comparison. Her eyes were wide, the barest of smiles creeping across her face, and finally she dared to nudge the controls and guide the ship forward. Slowly she broke atmosphere, following her senses in order to determine the landing zone closest to her destination, the ship slowly settling on the ground. There was no movement on her part for a long few seconds, but son enough she once again retreated to the back, this time donning the enviro-suit she had brought along in order to protect herself from the dangers of her soon to be surroundings.

Light footsteps carried her down the ramp and onto the surface, and momentarily she scanned her surroundings, extending her senses in order to take in the wasteland about her. Her head tilted back as she took in the death and darkness that shrouded the world, her eyes half shut as she once again smiled. Again she pressed on, halting at the mouth of a cave, her head cocking slightly to one side as she took in the pitch blackness before her. This was where the goddess had led her, and thusly it couldn't be for naught. Ever persistent she pushed on, stopping again when she detected two presences before her, slowly falling to her knees in humble worship before them.

Her voice projected through the Force itself, a corruption tainting her words that granted them a low, false echo, as if another voice was speaking along with her.

T҉͉̖̣̯̼͓̩͍h̼̞̤̖̞̥̤̬é͓̼͚̣̯̺̥͘ ̘̜g̪͈̘̩͙͈͕͠o̭̭̬͎̹̭d̡̺̣̺̼̤̘͉̜͝d̝̪̘̝̣͕̘͇͜͝e͖͇̰̱͙̱͉̮͝s̵̨̱̘͇s̡̺͎̤̘̲͈͎ͅ ͎̜̮͚h̴͙̜̀͟a̡̹̺̘͖͜s̢̻̺͎̣ ̨̰͈̹͠ĺ̲̯͉͚̮̲̠̦͠e̸̶̞̦̣̗̺͍̯̯̘̕d͏̻͙͚͈͎͓͔ ͙̳̭̳̗̝̪̀m̵͍̫͘͜e͜҉̻̖̥̟̱ͅ ̻̣t̶̴̵̩̥̱̞͍͇o̡͇̲̹̺̣ ̮̥̻͓̲̠͙̹y҉̠͍̭̦̮ơ͇͍ͅͅư̢͕̰͇̲̦͔̟͠.̣̺̰͔̠̀͟


She lowered her head, looking to the ground.


M̨̤͔͕̜̗̠ͨ̆͂̎̇ͯ͗̿͠ą̫̯̗͔͖̘͙̝ͬ͗̽̇s̛̻͗ͮ͂̉̑̉̏̚t̰̼͍͇̼ͩ̈́̌̿ę̳̣̺̰͙̥͓̮̽̑̆̃̄ͧ̂r̛̞̟͇̼͍̟̭̆̑̐̊̑ͫ̉̀͝ş̬̖̱̰͎̮̒̿͐.̹̬̺̙͈̞̺͛̋͡


[member="Dredge"], [member="Darth Vulcanus"]

 

[Dredge]

[media] https://youtu.be/jcD449ARQL0 [/media]​

8 Hours Earlier

After returning from Corellia and the successful resurrection of Krag the Graug had reason to celebrate. And well, in Krag's absence, Dredge's antics May of rubbed off on the Graug only a little. A Graug wearing shutter shades and a party hat stood behind a human DJ shocking him with a cattle prod every moment he began to slow, and while Krag was certainly going to whip the Graug back into shape it didn't mean they couldn't have fun for a few hours to celebrate their supreme leader's return. SO IT WAS PARTY TIME!!

It was great. Dredge was in a break dance contest, A Graug war leader was doing a keg stand, even the slaves were having a fun time being used as human furniture and coasters. All and all it was a time everyone could appreciate.

Now

Dredge stood outside with Krag, the two Sith Lords had received a vision in the force and after a well deserved celebration it was time to get back and get serious. So while nursing a massive headache, Dredge did his best to look serious and intimidating while a lone transport touched down and a single girl stepped off the ramp and bowed before them uttering a few words and some crap about a goddess then a single a single word that caught het attention. Masters.

Getting a good look at the girl the warlord looked up at the sky and mouthed "Really?" As he gave an equally confused expression. He was expecting a large and intimidating warrior, but instead got a young child that looked like she couldn't even lift a heavy crate to save her life.

"Alright." he said with a sigh afterwards.

Looking back down towards the girl, Dredge sighed and spoke in a very monotone voice.

"So there's more of you right?" Dredge asked as he began to peek over towards the shuttle hoping more people were inside.

And as he looked over the girl he could see that the answer to the question was an astounding nope. Sometimes Dredge questioned the almighty force and this was one of those moments. So now they had to decide to do with a scrawny little human that called them master. In Dredge's honest opinion it would be best to give her to the men to boost morales and let them have a play thing before they ate it. But he'd of course ask Krag.

"What do you think we should do with her?" And he honestly did want to know. He wondered if all those years spent dead had changed him at all.


[member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Amarthaer Saptheth"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Dredge"] [member="Amarthaer Saptheth"]

Even after death and ressurection Vulcanus found that the eternal constant of his life had still not faultered. Weakness followed his every immortal footstep, clinging to the shadow of his power like a parasite clinging to the flesh. They clawed at his power, wanting it all but never truly obtaining it. Dredge himself was one of these parasites in Vulcanus' eyes, though the Vong would never admit it. Now standing in the dark jungles of his homeworld, the Dark Lord of Fire and newly christined Khaan of the Graug's Great Horde, looked down upon yet another scurrying rodent who believed herself strong enough to deserve a spot beside a God...and whatever runny, black sludge Dredge was lucky enough to crown himself.

The beast said nothing as Dredge asked for his decree, he simply stared at the woman; sniffing at the air for hints of blood, ash or other such signs of strength. Unsurprising to him, there was none. Women of other species were disgustingly weak and the men would be lucky to combat a Graug woman alone. Pathetic that not even in Vulcanus' abscence could they claw themselves to some meager level of strength or respect.

"The godess has led me to you, masters." Came the sniveling proclamation from the whelp

"Ha!" Vulcanus' voice rocked the trees as he laughed, booming echos cracking like thunder as the malevolent laughter cut through the jungle, "Goddess? Pathetic little creature...the moment you stepped onto my planet, your goddess had forsaken you. I am your only god now."

The treeline around the shuttle rustled, a horde of viscious Graug peeling away the underbrush and sniffing the air. Down their face and bodies they had painted Graug holy symbols in blood, ceremonial blades hanging from sheathes made from the skin of slaves who'd been slaughtered mere days ago to provide the religious apparel necessary for the great crusade to come.

The beasts crawled forth from the shadows, teeth bared and eyes glowing with hatred at the one who had stepped from the shuttle. Turning to Dredge for but a moment, The Graug Warlord finally gave his reply, "She begs to call us her masters. We will teach her the meaning of pain and fear and then we will see if she is strong enough."

With a casting of his hand, Vulcanus shouted his orders to the Graug materializing from the deeps of the jungle, "Seize the lesser! Drag her to the slave pits!"

 

[Amarthaer Saptheth]

Something about her seemed to retreat back in on itself when Vulcanus proclaimed himself a god, the orange fire of her eyes never once wavering from him as he spoke, a certain fascination evident. Slowly she looked between the two of them, there being no fear but instead a strange reverence for just who the two before her were. Amarthaer was well aware that she was nothing beneath their power, but rather than being afraid for her life she instead had a desire to know. These two held as their own but a fraction of what the goddess was capable of, their ability nothing in the face of Vahl, but on the physical plane they were the be-all-end-all of existence. More than that, they were something to aspire to.

The Graug that approached were looked upon with an almost childlike curiosity, her head cocking slightly to one side as she looked them over. It was evident that they were considered as beneath the two prophets, but even they held a sort of power here, whereas she had none. Similar to their own crimson holy markings there were those scrawled across her form as well, it difficult to tell if they had been painted on or had simply set in with the amount of corruption that clung to her like a fog. Even that corruption that unnerved so many others did nothing to dissuade the beasts, nor did she show any signs of pulling away or resisting as they came closer. If this was what the prophets wished, then so it would be.

As she was drug away her body went limp, eyes half shut and her head bowed, lips barely moving in near-silent prayer in the Vahla tongue. It was the goddess Vahl that had led her here, and so too would she deign to keep her followers safe from any true harm.

[member="Darth Vulcanus"], [member="Dredge"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Amarthaer Saptheth"]

The canopy envoloped the sky as Amarthaer was drug through the vines and mud, the sun vanishing behind the cage of spiked leaves that twisted overhead.

Vulcanus watched for a moment before his serpentine eyes fell to Dredge, the usual black abyess of the pupils turned firery sulfur. Without a word the beast followed after his warriors, boots sinking deep as it thundered after her. The trees grew thicker. The light grew dimmer. Onward they marched through until all outside life had been swallowed by the vast maw of the Gratosian jungle. All the while, Vulcanus studied her through the darkness as she closed her eyes and whispered to herself. He smelled no fear on this one. She willing submitted herself to the warriors and accepted her fate.

Weakness surly...but a weakness that may yet have potential to be turned to the strength required to serve Vulcanus. He would break her in everyway he knew how. She would tow the weight of a slave. Feel the pain of a slave. Be brought to knee as a slave. She may not know fear yet, but she would know pain and if she showed the strength to fight his interest will have been peeked. If not then she would be left to starve and die in the pits where weak filth belonged. He had no time for weakness in his coming reign.

The first mile would have left her skin raw as it drug over mud, rock and vine. The final mile would test her resolve of prayer as mud turned to dirt, rocks turned to stones and vines turned to carnivourous mole-like beasts that snapped at the fresh blood as it passed over their tunneled homes. Sharp, powerful teeth crushing the flesh between their jaws before ripping it from the muscle and bone tiny pieces at a time. Vulcanus observed this, his claws curling into fists in anticpation as the jungle echoed the screams of men and women from up ahead.

"Do you see that, lesser. Do you hear it?" Vulcanus pointed through the pitch black towards an dark orange glow piercing though the darkness like a portal. The smell of burning meat curled around that of sulfur as the beasts dragged her ever closer, the howls of the damned growing louder as if to plead for her to get up and run. "Your god is dead. You have only pain to embrace now."

 

[Amarthaer Saptheth]

No audible cries of agony escaped her, though her features contorted in pain as flesh was torn from the bone in near minuscule increments. Rather than push away the sensation she explored every nuance of it, forcing herself to feel everything, the sensation of her own blood running over her skin something that was embraced. Mud blended with crimson across her form, every breath unsteady as her nerve-endings were alight, demanding that she end this. That survival instinct was pushed to the side as she allowed this suffering to push her onward, building her up even as the most fundamental aspects of her foundation were torn apart beneath her and replaced with a new, much harsher reality.

There would be no protest made as to the declaration that the goddess meant nothing here, as such a statement was blasphemy in itself. He could subject Amarthaer to all manner of torture he wished, but there was one conviction that wouldn't be shaken from her no matter how much he pressed, and that was her overarching faith in Vahl herself. Regardless of the strength he held this man was but a prophet, and whether he saw it for himself or not, he was beneath the goddess in that regard. There was nothing that would change that, but she wouldn't bother with pressing what was a simple fact. He could continue to deny it all he wished, but that wouldn't change the truth.

Her head raised just slightly when he spoke, bedraggled hair hanging in front of her eyes as she looked upon what little she could discern of the scene before her. The epicenter of all of this was encapsulated there, the beginning and end of all the anguish that held this world in its unshakable grip. Still no fear radiated from her, though there was a sort of wary curiosity there, one that held a desire to know while at the same time being well aware that the answers weren't anything pleasant. Her gaze met directly with Vulcanus' as she projected her next words into his mind,

W̸̞͔̭̝̙h̵̺̣a̗͔̠̥̟̺̫̕t̨̜̯̠͚̗ ̨̪̖̪d̠̘̜o ̻y͎̳̰̤̖̠̰o̗u̘̞̰ ̳̤w̗̲̲͓̞͝ḭ̘̘ͅș̜͚̻h̦̟̠͍̯͞?̢͕͓̱̰̺̮͉


[member="Darth Vulcanus"], [member="Dredge"]

 

[Dredge]

Dredge had remained quiet for most of the journey to the slave pits, simply keen to let Krag do his thing. Honestly he was just giddy to see what was going to go down, and he wasn't all that disappointed. Krag had the woman go on a death march to the slave pits and afterward stare into the abyss of darkness and misery where only the strong survived, and knowing Krag he was gonna toss her in there and see if she came back, and if she did then the woman would be worthy of training.

But Dredge didn't operate like that. He didn't want to see a free gift from spooky goddess force lady thing go to waste. Judging by her size and her ability to lay there and take it, she wasn't going to last very long down there. So before the roided out graug could throw her down there the man chimed in.

"You know I heard this saying once about looking a gift horse in the mouth then throwing said horse into oblivion. But I think we should look at this little human's life as a opportunity." Dredge said as he grabbed the woman by the back of her dress.

Lifting her up into the air as a mother wolf would hold her young the man used his free hand to open up Amarthaer's mouth and inspect her teeth and gums, working her way around to open her eyelids up and further inspect her.

"She's a relatively healthy looking human who sees you as a prophet for some stupid dead queen, and I bet if you asked her to give you a handy J under the bleachers at lunch she would." Dredge then dropped the child onto the ground.

"What I'm trying to say is let me take her for a day or two, I'll take her for a test drive, and if she's still alive by the end of it, she's worthy." Giving the pitch, the Yuuzhan Vong looked down at the woman from beneath his shadowed mask, staring at her with his one piercing red eye through the darkness.

[member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Amarthaer Saptheth"]