The Blood Of Vahl: Awakening - Part One

[The Red of Sinner]

Eclipstica
Realm of the Shadow King


The lives of a thousand people rested in his hands, as more, and more came to Eclipstica, more dropped to a knee to bow before him. Romeo had taken notes on who was coming to his planet, and sometimes why they were here. Lately, most of them had been Vahla, or humans looking for refugee. The king figured his kind came here in search of place to call home. Darth Isolda had done nothing in the event of searching for their lost home world, instead settled with taking someone else's. Coruscant was heaping mass of disaster, death, and dismay. There was no saving it from the One Sith, if they could be called One Sith. Some said they were all under one mind set, and quite organized compared to the Sith Empire. Romeo knew this was not the case.
As the eclipse settled into view, the world around him became dark, and soon lit by the fires that were placed around the keep. In his bed room, the exiled Vahla sat in meditation, opening his mind to the force, and allowing it to caress his inner self. So dark was the force coiled around his mind, and whispered the power that came behind it in his ears. Romeo began to slowly fall into a trance, reaching out to the keep around him, touching each person inside the castle walls. He could feel the guards that stood attentive, and proud of their station, the maids who were treated with dignity that cleaned the place. They were not scared of entering this place, instead welcomed it, enjoyed it. Yes, Romeo had done all he could to stay kind to others for sake that he not become like his father.
Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, something clawed at his mental state of trance. Something nagged at him, pulled on his strings that moved his curiosity. What this was, Romeo did not know, and thought twice before even thinking about amusing the disturbance in the force. Was it from the planet itself, or was it something farther out? Something greater?

 

[The Red of Sinner]

The fires in his room swooshed forward, then swooshed backwards as Romeo attuned his mind to listening to the force, and flexing his powers in it. His greatest was the ability to control the fire, his weakest was something darker, and more sinister. He, in his more younger years, thought it was be more helpful, and beneficial to himself to learn how to suck the life out of another for his own gain. He had not been wrong, but not right at the same time. He hardly used it as he matured more, finding it was not a power to casually throw around for one's own sake. His other power being that to move objects with just his mind could be seen by the now floating balls around him that were of a black marble color. They twirled, and danced around him, about the size of one's palm, but heavy.
As he allowed his powers to flex, and stretch further, he opened himself more to the nagging that was trickling down his skull, to the ridge of his spine. His skin perked up as this would cause something to gently touch his mind. At first he thought it was another force user, trying to attack him through subtle mental disturbance, but as he listened, he could hear someone call his name. The call from afar, and not in the keep itself. He opened his eyes, and Romeo stood up from his sitting position. He continued to keep the connection, and listened harder, a whisper, a beckoning for him to follow.
Romeo did follow, down the hallways of his spire, that lead down to the various other parts of the Shadow Keep. He followed it down the rooms that connected, and finally exited out into the throne room. The subtle whisper had only grew slightly louder, and more culling then before, but he was on the right track.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

As Romeo's steps echoed against the walls of the throne room, and the voice in his head grew more, and more. His face scrunched up as he wondered what this was, and why he was hearing it now. The fire sconces fluttered, and shuddered at he passed by them, as if bowing before their master. His eyes changed from a dark red, to a bright blood red, glowing softly in the dim light. Romeo's chest slowly rose up as he took a breath, and reached the large ebony wooden double doors. Behind them was the outside world of bustling Eclipstica. His eyes closed as his right arm lifted up, and his hand gently pointed it's palm at the door. It opened softly, letting the cold breeze from outside gently caress his face, swaying his hair about in his face.
Again the voice wrapped around his mind, and cuddled it like a child would to a doll, being so gentle. The voice pulled him to step out, and let the darkness touch his skin. Finally the voice was louder, and clearer. It was as if the person was right in front of him, maybe a few feet away, whispering something just barely audible. In his mind, he saw eyes, so black that they were nearly lost in the darkness they hid in, and hair white as ash.
His eyes stayed closed as he opened his mind more, allowing the voice to find it's way to his conscious, and become apparent to him. As Romeo listened more intently, he made out words, and a language he knew all to well. Vahla.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

Hear my voice as I speak unto you, hear me, and know I am real, that I too was once like you. A being of flesh, and bone. Hear me Romeo, and obey me. Travel to the Scars of your planet, and there I will speak to you once more. I have plans for you, and you will not disobey me Sin of the Vahla, like you do to those whom worship me as a goddess. Listen King of the Exiles, and know you are chosen for something far greater then the Embers of Vahl could ever dream of. ​

​

And like that, the voice stopped, and Romeo snapped out of it like nothing had happened. He blinked a few times, and looked out to the seas on the left of the keep. Had that really been Vahl? He shook his head, and held it. He now had a tremendous headache, but something urged him to move to the Scars as he had been instructed to do.
As Romeo clicked the button that would summon his speeder, he waited till it would show up, knowing it was time to begin a new journey.
Why had she instructed him to go the Scars? The darkness there must allowed her to come to him easier as this was nothing something that happened often, voices in his head, and what not.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

As the speeder came, Romeo threw some water in the back, as the Scars was just a desert waist land. He hopped in the driver side, and sped off to the closest port to get there. The news came on through the holonet built into the speeder, and it began to speak about the wars.

Death comes from everywhere as the One Sith continue to attack, and destroy the Repub...

Romeo shut it off. He had been there, on Manaan, remembered it all to well.
Fire, blood, smoke, and sceams.

He closed his eyes, and focused on the road, soon he was in the city of the five, heading into Crezten, the city of metal. Here he would take a boat that would lead to the shore of the Scars.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

Stopping at the closes parking area, he stepped out, and felt the rain begin to pelt his face. He sighed, and looked onward to the city, the fire burned as smiths began to finish their work for the day. All was quiet, besides the pings, and dings of hammers, and other tools used for shaping metal. Some smithies were heading to bars, laughing about stuff Romeo knew not of.
He pulled the three jugs he brought with him, and began to walk to the docks, even here, the ocean rolled in thunderous noise. The rain came harder, and he savored the moments of wet falling as he knew this would be a luxury in the Scars.

The boots clacked as he walked, echoing out as the smithies were now gone into their bars, they were big burly men. All loving of the art of metal shaping. Romeo smiled as he thought about their passions for such things, it was a honorable job, and one he respected greatly.

As he finally made it to the docks, the boat was waiting there, taking passengers wanting to see the Scars from the ocean side. It was a tourist attraction some how. Romeo didnt understand how, but he just shrugged. As he walked behind the group getting on, something pinched the back end of his mind. He closed his eyes tight as he felt the pain.
What is this now?
He thought to himself, and opened his eyes back, ignoring it. The captain of the boat stopped him as he was about to step on, "Ticket please." he said in a friendly voice. He was blind in one eyes, and wore a large trench coat.
Romeo slapped a ten thousand credit chip in his hand.
"The Shadow King was never here." Romeo said as he took another step onto the boat, and left the captain there dumbfounded. He excepted the credit chip, and stepped onto his own boat.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

A few hours later, Romeo was at the back of the boat, watching the tidal waves behind them, lost in his own thoughts about what this meant. There is a reason for everything, that was how Romeo thought. There was a reason for him being here, there was a reason for the Shadow Dynasty, for the dark side, and the light side. For his daughters, lovers, and friends. They all had reasons for being what they were, why they where here, and had purpose.
As he came closer to the Scars, the more the darkness could be felt, it shrouded the place in it’s grip. The captain began talking on the innercom, but Romeo paid it no attention. As the boat came to a slow halt, Romeo stood to look to the lands of the Scars. Desert, a gentle, yet inviting red aura shifted around open cracks like a fog.
Romeo took a breath, and picked up his water. With a surge in the force, he leaped from the boat, and landed a little ways from the land, making a large splash in the water. Gasps, and voices echoed behind him. He ignored it as well. Romeo began kicking with his feet to get to the shore of sand, and he finally reached the shore, he pulled himself unto them.
He took a sip of one of the jugs of water he had brought with him, and leaned back on the shore, tired from the swim. “This had better be worth it.” He said outloud. After few minutes of rest, he turned around, and looked at his enviroment. He didnt come here very often. Actually, he had never stepped foot on the land before, deemed it to dangerous.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

Romeo had been walking for hours it seemed, and the night was finally here. Not just an eclipse, but night itself made the place seem sheer, and utter darkness. The darkside crepted up his body, whispering to him. This was a lot like the dark power Silara had used on him on Manaan. The Dark Jedi resisted the voices in his head, he pressed forward, and allowed the force to be his guide throught the darkness.
Finally he came to a spot where there was lava, and fire spouting out. This was odd as this place was supposed to be just pure desert. What was this? Romeo saw this though as a place to set up camp, as this was the only light source around.
The voices silenced now, only the soft howl of the winds caressed his ears. Taking his meditation position, he began to open his mind to the darkness here, and futher on of the land. The animals were of the darkside here, and he could gently feel them moving out there, some dying, some killing, and others living peacefully.
The darkside of the force began to coil around his body, physically, from the darkside that resided here. Empowering him, and embracing him.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

A voice, a presence, creeped up to the back of his mind, the white hair, and black eyes returning.

Good, you did as you were told to do Sin. Now let me speak to you for awhile, let me make you a tool of the darkside, allow me to show you power you only dreamed up. This place is your home, the darkness wants to be touched by you, rule it, rule with a fist of iron. Let no one take it from you, this will be a refuge for your people, for my people. Know I am Vahl, goddess to the cult of Ember, and you are Romeo Sin, flesh, and blood of what I was before I became one with the darkness.

Romeo’s eyes opened wide. It had to be a lie, this was insanity of the darkside that he was born into, that’s what this must be. “You lie! I am not the spawn of Vahl!” He stood up as his hands clenched into fists.

DO NOT CALL ME A LIAR! I SPEAK ONLY TRUTHS ROMEO OF SIN! YOU ARE OF ME, AND YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THAT!

His mind raged back, and forth, unable to come to a peace with this information. “I..no...they were going to kill me! THEY WERE GOING TO SACRIFICE MY BODY TO YOU!” He roared out in anger. “YOU BETRAYED ME!” His furry rose, the lava behind him beginning to act upon his emotions, rising up in spurts, and what looked like coming alive.

But they failed, and you killed them, escaped, and became stronger through it. Who do you think helped you? Who? They were fools, and knew not what they were doing. Their ignorance was punished Romeo.

He stood there in silence, yelling at something that wasnt there. “THEN WHY! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!”
I want you to become an my hand of chaos Romeo, I will give you the power to become this too...I will give you the power to wipe yours, and my enemies from the galaxy.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

And thus she sent him on his new journey to find out who he really was, and what he was to become. To find true strength, and power to lead his kingdom to glory, and show the Ember of Vahl how much they shamed her name. He set returned back to his castle after that, and slept the whole day away, she had given him a list of what needed doing, places, coordinates, and a new knowledge of the darkside.
As he sat back on what she showed him, she but gave him a taste of that power, feeling around in his mind, and opening up new places, touching parts that were scared to him. He raged all night, torn, and then rebuilt, torn apart again, then put back together. All night he was put through mental torments, shown his fears over, and over again, then was made to feel pain of physical quality. Vahl then twisted his own mind to her will to make him feel the pain she wanted him to, instructing him how to do this to his own enemies.
You must overpower their will, you must grip their minds with a tight of death, and twist their nerves to your own will. Your pain will become theirs, what you envision as pain, they will feel it. You will never get anyway slinging your fire everywhere Sin, you must open yourself to wider, and more board aspects of the darkside.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

His whole body had felt like pin needles were everywhere in him, then his arms, and legs felt broken, like the pieces of bone were snapped, and the splinters were shoved out of his skin. Next she made his own insides feel like he was bleeding, he coughed, choked, threw up. He passed out for a few seconds, only be revived back to it. He felt his body was being turned inside out. He remembered all this as he laid back in his bed, too stunned to know what to say. She had overpowered his mind so easily, wormed inside, and gripped him with a clunch he could not remove. Each time she instructed him what was being done, as if she was not hurting him, as if there was no pain being felt. She whispered in his ear so sofly, caressing him as he twisted, and howled in pain.