Down to Business

[Jenmae Ophiro]

​

The wraith had found for her companion a gift.

Lurking deep beneath the lush, sub-tropical forests that the pair had originally made their home, the witch had felt a thrumming of something powerful, something ancient... During one of the many off-world missions that her Wolf had taken in their continued efforts to locate what the pair were now fondly referring to as The Nine, Jenmae had decided to follow the intoxicating tug of all that power to the mouth of a cavern. It had taken her the better part of a day, but as she'd reached deep into the rocky earth beneath the planet's surface, and there she'd located what would become their new home.

Knowing that [member="Seren"] would be gone for several days, she'd taken liberties to collect up their belongings and relocate them to the city she'd found. It was crumbling and old beyond her understanding, but it felt wondrous in her mind - the stone walls and cobbled streets were caked in dust and the rubble of what she assumed were centuries, the wooden structures that decorated the once great city were dried to the point of shattering, making massive piles of rubble where once there had been homes or small shops. Beyond that, there was something deep within the stone fortress that had her heart fluttering - and it was that which drew her, arms filled with books from her modest library, to the utter blackness of the city's core.

Down a set of stairs that had been carved into the side of a massive cave set within the city itself, the white-haired apparition has descended to what she believed to have once been a temple. The flat stone expanse thrust into the yawning maw of the cavern, the edges decorated with low stone shelves that had piles of what may, many years before, have been candles or tomes themselves. The structure was too old to make out the specifics of what had been carved into the platform itself, but it was easy to see that there was some ritual to the carvings, some purpose to their design. Standing upon it, her arms laden with the volumes she'd read telling her of magicks so ancient they'd been lost, she could feel a piece of the puzzle fall into place.

- - -​

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The sun was setting low over the canopy, the various birds that made the forests of Cularin their home settling with soft songs in those same tree-tops. The Dathomiri cast-off had received a call from her charge several hours before, heralding his return later that evening - so she'd dressed herself in something befitting his return and waited patiently for him at the edge of the trees that bordered the clearing he generally used when landing his ship. The pale specter of a woman had been standing there for nearly an hour, her face as serene as always, but her heart pounding in her chest with an excitement that her visage did not betray. Just as the heat of day began to fade and the humidity in the air turned from a stifling blanket to a much more bearable chill in the air, she could hear the familiar hum of his ship's engines approaching.

Slow, measured strides carried her from the trees into the warm light that still bathed the meadow, dark, lustrous eyes lifting as the ship settled into the tall grass and the ramp extended to reveal the Wolf to her. One slim arm rose, hand turning upward towards him as she offering him welcome, her voice quiet as the engines died and the wind whipped up from the ship's propulsion systems became still.

"Welcome home, [member="Seren"]. Tell me of your search - and while you do, I have something I wish to show you."

 

[Seren]

Nine.

There were countless tales throughout history of hubris being punished divinely. From the boy who flew too close to the sun to the woman transfigured into a spider. Yet, one of the oldest - and most forgotten - tales was one of the Bride. Eons ago, the Fanged God ached with desire. He, like all men, was not meant to wander through life utterly alone. And thus, he crafted for himself a Bride. An excessively pretty mortal was chosen from amongst his faithful, and unto her was given a taste of immortality.

She, as his Bride, was to rule the Darkness at his side. But the Darkness corrupts. In the end, ambition bled into her feeble heart and she dared to attempt to snatch his might for her own. Her treachery saw her ripped apart by the Fanged One - into Nine pieces - and scattered about the stars. Never to be whole again. Suffering evermore. The tale was always uttered, at least in the past, as a warning against ambition. Yet, for the Wolf and the Witch, the tale was the compass towards their desires.

For within the Bride was the power of divinity. And consuming her? That would bring them ever closer to their aims.

Yet, to pick up on the trail was the task of a lifetime. The tale was penned eons before even the Darkness - and thus, for many months, their mission was much akin to chasing shadows. But. Seren had been chosen by his Witch because he was a Wolf. He was a hunter. A tracker. And finding a trail was something he could do innately. Thus, whenever a lead fell into their lap, he would leave her side in order to track it down. And this time, his hunt had born fruit. As his vessel sliced through the heavens of Cularin, excitement rumbled within his stomach.

And unlike his pallid partner, his expression gave it all away.

Descent from his vessel was undertaken with hasty steps until he finally arrived at the Witch's side. There, he greeted her as so often was his norm. He leaned, simply touching his brow to hers. As he did, she greeted him with the serene tone that could calm even the thunderstorm of his wrath. "It is good to be home, Jenmae." he breathed, his smile growing amidst the scars of his face. "My search bore tangible fruit. I have found one of the Nine - and it is closer than we had ever hoped."

Righting himself, he nodded for her to lead on. "It took some doing, but a Je'daii Order had cropped up within the past couple decades. They were fortunate enough to have found some texts dating back to the Era we seek..." His voice trailed as their footsteps began. "What do you have to show me?"

[member="Jenmae Ophiro"]

 

[Jenmae Ophiro]

His simple gestures were less of a mystery to her now - as she could see clearly that they soothed the beast within her companion.

As the ship's ramp extended and the Wolf hastily made his way towards her, the white-haired apparition lifted her hands only a touch, palms upwards as she accepted his hands into her own. Her face turned upwards, those pit-like eyes of hers sliding closed as he lowered his head and gently pressed his forelock to her own. In that moment she could sense the calm envelop him, as though seeping from her flesh into his own. It was yet another gift she gave him, though truly it was not of a purpose. Something about being in her presence calmed her Wolf, and all the better honestly - she quite enjoyed when he was calm and agreeable.

As he straighten once more, she carefully released his hands and opened coruscating brown eyes to regard him. She stood silently, still as death as he spoke - though for the woman he'd come to call his own it was no wonder to have her stand as such. Often when he would launch into long tales of where their research had taken him, she'd quietly watch him, always still as the grave, the only thing that betrayed her interest being the fact that her eyes would not leave his lips. Every ounce of knowledge he'd gathered she'd relish in devouring, and though it may not have been apparent to most, [member="Seren"] would recognize her hunger for it.

This was no different... Their search for The Nine had sent her paramour to many remote locations, but this most recent trip had not required him to go nearly as far - and she was pleased to find that it had finally ceded them some results. When he gave her a gentle nod to indicate that she should lead on, the Witch turned, and with a gentle flutter of her hair in the early evening breeze, the wraith began to lead him - but not towards their home. Careful, measured steps carried her just ahead of him, but at his side, and her hands folded neatly against one another over her lap.

"This is good news," she began, her voice just as even as her pace, leading him towards a bank of sharp, rocky mountains to the North. "I was hopeful that you'd find us a lead worth following soon... I confess that I didn't spend much time looking into the texts you brought home from your last trip. I found myself distracted." It took them the better part of thirty minutes to walk the distance to the base of the mountain, the pale figure leading him to the yawning mouth of a cavern that cut deep enough into the rock that even his eyes may struggle to see.

Her progress stopped as she turned her face, fair glowing in the growing darkness. "How well can you see in the dark, little Wolf? The Seren I knew was but a pup in the darkness..." Pale fingers rose, gently tracing first the scars across his cheek before the tips of her nails whispered across his lashes. "What of you, my Wolf?"

 

[Seren]

When the Wolf was far Younger, moments such as these were...off-putting.

It was during the era of understanding, from the world that Seren had left behind. Long ago, when he first began to divulge useful pieces of information to the Witch, he found it strange just how fixated she would become. At first it would appear as though she were simply uninterested - for her face was as silent as the moon above. However, with time, the young wolf came to realize that she was whetting her thirst. Every syllable which dared to fall from his lips was hungrily absorbed by the woman - for she could always reiterate every word he uttered with ease. Though her mannerisms were unique, she clung to each and every word. For they had value to her; value to her goals, value to her cause.

In the present, this was no different. Though he was very brief in recounting his efforts, Jenmae made it a point to focus the totality of her attention upon her mate. In this case, the fortunate news about where he had found their next move would be trapped forever within her mind. It was only when he inquired as to what she had to show him that she was animated once more. And she began to take the road less traveled. In fact, she began to take the road...completely opposite to their Home. Seren had, long ago, learned to never question whatever direction the Witch chose to tread - both literally and metaphorically. Thus, when she began to lead on, the Wolf quietly followed whilst hearkening to her words.

Distracted? That certainly was not like her. At least to confess aloud. This was indeed the same woman who demanded that he would make up for her lost time during the day they met...so whatever it was that had gobbled her precious moments must surely have been grand. Thus, the curiosity mounting within the wolf only intensified as she continued to lead on...deeper and deeper into the darkness. She paused only for a moment, reaching back to trail her lovely nails across the scars running wild upon his face. She spoke of his inability to see in such darkness - which was certainly a reality for the young wolf she once knew. However, the Jenmae he knew had grown tired of having to be his eyes in the darkness.

And thus shown him how to see amidst the black.

Though she could do as much with but the batting of her eyelids, Seren simply waved his offhand before his irises. They began to gleam brighter than before - shining as her pallid skin would against moonlight. And in doing so, the darkness became as clear as day. "I cannot imagine what could ever distract you mistress." he began, lips curving into a smile at her touch. "I must admit, I am excited to see...and yes, I can certainly see in the darkness now. For you had shown me how."

[member="Jenmae Ophiro"]

 

[Jenmae Ophiro]

As he waved his hand before his eyes, that high-gloss sheen filling their depths, the Witch knew where he'd learned the trick.

Many years before, when she was but a child herself, there had been nights on Cularin where the darkness had eaten even the stars. Thick, roiling storm clouds had filled the skies and she'd been forced to wait for the darkness to pass. In the late summers on the planet it could feel like weeks where the clouds would eat the star that was the primary source of light and heat for Cularin - but there was a need for the young witch to bring light to the world in nights that stretched on for days. She'd taught herself the simple trick the man used now, and she knew it would suffice.

With another of those small smiles her own eyes were swallowed by pitch. The colour bled from her pupils outwards like spilled ink, and within seconds the entirety of her own eyes were like wells that sat within the pale expanse of her face. With the darkness came her power, and with her power can the ability to see clearly in the darkness that was to swallow them whole. "I'm glad I thought to teach you something so useful... Come." With that said she turned towards the cavern and began to trek down what appeared to be a narrow pathway.

The dress she wore whispered like some creature along the smoothed stone, the sound beginning to echo eerily off the distant walls of the cave as they descended. The sound of their passage was all there was to be heard as the wound their way deeper into the earth, the warmth from the late day sun fading almost as quickly as the light at their backs.

"Tell me, Wolf - in your search for the Nine, and your research on the power I seek to take, have you learned much about this planet?" Long, silken hair rippled across her back as she turned her head, those black eyes of hers catching any spare bit of light and causing them to reflect sharply in the darkness as she met his gaze again. Her tone gave nothing away, but the way she'd asked it hinted that she was hopeful that [member="Seren"] may have something more than a negative response to offer.

 

[Seren]

Tag: [member="Jenmae Ophiro"]​

Location: Home, Cularin​

---

The trek reminded him...

The event had transpired months ago, yet the descent deep into the earth reminded him of the dire circumstances. Though he and his beloved had managed to attain literal godhood in the future, their very best was not enough to withstand the ravages of their enemies. They had succeeded - but by their blind stumbling towards divinity, they had also failed. Stepping through such black caverns were a vivid reminder of the day Seren had come to the past in order to make the most of their time.

For in but an instant, he appeared before the Witch of the present. Amidst cavernous walls and roaring flames.

The Wolf held his peace in regards to the thought which had wormed its way into his mind. Instead, he focused on keeping apace with the pallid beauty before him. She led the way deeper into the recesses of the earth, sure in her footing. And, with his eyes freshly attuned to the darkness, Seren could properly appreciate whatever it was that she had in store for him. At this particular moment, there was nothing save the ruffle of her garments over the ancient stones, however. Yet he was sure, whatever it was, would certainly be worth the voyage.

Her question? He answered it straightaway. Cularin had, save for his initial voyage into this modern Galaxy as a boy, not been the focal point of his efforts. For the Nine seemed to be scattered in every direction but here. "In truth, the Nine's trail is far away from Home. With time being so precious, I did not focus any efforts on looking further into Cularin than absolutely necessary." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Was I mistaken to do so?" The question was not a challenge, of course, but an earnest one.