The Flame Which Cast The Shadow

[Lief]

A promise had been made, and Saeldar finally intended to follow it through. But it would take time, planning, and a little training on the part of @Thyrian Ashbornhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/2139-thyrian-ashborn/. Yes, she had a lot of work to do. Her new robes flourished behind her, propelled by some unseen breeze, as she strode through the Academy on Dromund Kaas, every step precisely placed, her presence limited to the shadows which filled the maze-like hallways. Ideas flooded her mind, each being given the same amount of thought, of dedication to the suggestion, as the one before it. Nothing could be overlooked, nor would it be.

By the time she reached his containment room, which was in truth little more than a cell for his own safety as those who kept him captive claimed, she had a well-formulated plan in mind. Many sleepless nights she had spent on this matter, and part of her wondered whether or not Thyrian thought she would be true to her word. It had been four years since the promise had been made. There had been no point in deceiving the Ashborn, however, he was already a wreck, an empty shell. But perhaps I can put use to him, he simply has to learn how to trust me - of course, that would take time... Which they had little of. She may have only been a child still, but Saeldar would not pass up an opportunity such as this. She knew all the facets of power, and the subjugation of others was part of such...

... Only it wasn't her primary goal. Saeldar worked from the shadows, she always had. To gain power from within was indefinitely better to aspire towards, for one who worked in the dark, from the eyes of others. Maybe we can come to some arrangement, after all I have much to offer him, the likes of which the other Sith would not give... The thought cast a ghostly smile upon her lips, but it was swiftly obliterated. Now was not the time for expressions, any outward sign of plans yet-to-flourish would likely ruin them before they began. No, she had to play this safe... Bide her time.

"Hello, Thyrian the Ashborn" Saeldar said the moment she entered his room. They had not seen one another since their first encounter, so she had no idea how he was doing, how Circe had been treating him. Thus she took the chance to glance him over, check not only his physical state but his expressions, mannerisms, any subtle gestures he might make, to read him like an open book. Such had become habit of hers, since the events on Metalorn. Saeldar was not the same girl he had met, for one she looked completely different... And she was finally about to confide her true identity in another being, save her Master... Provided this went to plan, that is. If not, she would have to dispose of him.

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

As the mysterious woman entered his "tomb", as he liked to call it, the Ashborn was sitting in the middle of the tiny, square room, as if awaiting her. He was forced to kneel because of his height, as the cell was small for even a normal person. His head being slowly raised to meet her gaze, he replied: "ARE YOU HERE... TO KILL ME? TO PUT AN END TO IT ALL?" He paused. "I WOULD WELCOME IT, GIRL." His gaze finally met hers. "THOUGH YOU MIGHT FIND ME HARD TO EXTINGUISH..." The pitch black room flared up as if a candle was suddenly lit. The Ashborn's skin, otherwise dark like charred and burnt meat, suddenly came to life as veins of fiery red became clearly visible, creating a bright light in the utter darkness. Slowly he rose to a hunched-over standing position, towering above the much shorter female before him.

Upon seeing her face in the light he'd created, he was reminded of someone. Someone much younger, and smaller at that. "IF YOU ARE NOT HERE TO KILL ME, THEN LEAVE ME BE. CHERISH THE TIME I HAVE GIVEN YOU BY LETTING YOU LEAVE HERE ALIVE." In truth, he was tired; though not physically, his spirit, or lack there-of, was faltering. Like a battery in need of recharging, his inner rage was the one thing keeping him from becoming but a pile of dust on the cold floor. The Ashborn then turned around and slumped back onto the floor, resuming his weary meditations as if not acknowledging her existence.

@[member="Saeldar"]

 

[Lief]

What had Circe done to him?

That was the first thought to cross her mind, and in truth it sparked a rage deep within her. Her first instinct was to remove him from the room there and then... But business had to be attended to first. She would not reveal her intentions right away, so instead she would deceive him... For the time being. Until they were somewhere safe to talk. Allowing him to use his booming voice, without so much as flinching, she remained silent. When his body lit up she hardly winced, although her eyes closed ever so slightly to stop them from becoming damaged. No, all in all she barely reacted, which to a man who was used to sparking fear in young children... The kind of men fairytales were made of... Well, it would certainly have been an odd sight for him, or at least it should have been.

When she finally spoke her words were almost silent, tone softer than perhaps it ought to have been. "You are to come with me" she announced, still giving nothing away. For all he knew, this was someone Circe had sent to summon him. When she turned on her heels to walk away she brokered no agreements, no change of terms, she merely showed that he had no choice but to follow. It was her will that he would, and she would not permit him to bend her will, only be bent to it. Heading out into the hallway she walked with an air of authority which would immediately subdue any questions other members of the Order might have, after all Saeldar was the Emperor's Apprentice, and for all they knew she was doing his bidding, his work. Saeldar used everything she had to her advantage with this particular predicament.

@[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

When the girl turned and walked back out the room, having commanded him to follow, he could feel a small surge of intrigue blossom inside his lifeless husk. Maybe Circe had sent one of her acolytes, or servants, or whatever, to come collect him. What was he supposed to do, just sit here and wither away like he had for months already, not having to eat or sleep? As he turned around, she was gone, already on her way down the long corridor. The Ashborn stood up, still having to hunch his back to fit his height, and only had to take a few steps to get outside of his tomb. He easily caught up to her, as his legs alone made up for half her entire height. The veins on his body once again lit up as to show his energy returning to him. This girl was not one of Circe's. She was something else, entirely.

Without saying anything, Thyrian walked alongside the strange, yet familiar girl. He would glance down at her from time to time just to get a better look at her, as her features still reminded him of a promise made long ago, by another with the same aura of hollowness as himself. He could feel the same aura surrounding this one, but she had a clear goal in mind, an agenda. Finally breaking the silence, he spoke: "WHERE ARE WE GOING, GIRL? TO ONE OF CIRCE'S LABORATORIES? HER TORTURE ROOMS? OR AM I TO BE EXECUTED TO ELIMINATE THE EVIDENCE OF HER FAILED EXPERIMENT SHE TRIED TO SWEEP UNDER THE RUG FOR SO LONG?"

@[member="Saeldar"]

 

[Lief]

And so he followed. Good, the smoother this part of the plan was executed the better. The pair remained silent all the way to the hidden hangar bay, meant only for super-official and often top-secret use. And, as would be expected from a girl who inspected every little detail she possibly could of a person, or building, or place, Saeldar had found it, and begun to use it. Her decision to do so had yet to be challenged, and she was causing no trouble by doing so. Which was a plus, a positive, all things considered. It wasn't until they were entering the deserted hangar bay that the silence surrounding them finally broke, with the booming voice of Thyrian, who for most of the journey had been contemplating her, inspecting her so to speak. His height was extremely imposing, shadowing the girl... But it was something she likewise welcomed.

Yes, Saeldar had made the right decision. Now to bend him to her will, to make it all fall in place. "We are not going to Circe" she announced, as the ramp to Saeldar's personal ship opened, and the pair began to wander into it. The moment Thyrian was inside the ramp rose with a snap-hiss, enclosing them both within cargo bay. The ceiling was high, especially in comparison to the tiny cell the Ashborn had been within for the past four years. He was able to stand tall without stooping. In a flurry of robes the girl ventured straight over to the cockpit, setting the controls which would permit them to leave Dromund Kaas. Naturally, Saeldar had the clearance codes, so it was an effortless task. Up through the atmosphere the ship rose, on a pre-set autopilot. It was time for them to speak.

"Sit" she said, with a gesture towards a purposely build heat-resistant metal chair. There would be no worrying about burning the place down, the girl had prepared for Thyrian in a way Circe had not. It was comfortable enough, a palace in comparison to his prison, she was offering him salvation... But not of the light-kind. No... She waited for him to sit, so they could discuss... Plans.

@[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Able to put his "fears" to rest of having to meet with that vile witch of a woman again, the Ashborn was led onto a ship. Where this ship was bound to he did not know, nor did he ask. The girl had been secretive thus far, and further questioning would not bring her to answer anymore than she had already, that much was clear. As instructed, he slowly sat down, at first sceptical to the idea of him sitting in a mere chair. The girl seemed determined, as she gestured to the metal chair for emphasis. His ashen skin merged with the seat, and as tiny pieces of ashes trailed from him as he sat down, he could for the first time honestly say that he felt comfortable. "Felt" was a strong word, though, as he had no feeling in him whatsoever.

His gaze rested on hers, as he awaited what was to come next. The ship was taking off on its programmed course, a destination unknown to the Ashborn. It suited him fine to get off Dromund Kaas, the dreary, wretched place of either lost or corrupt souls. "Sheep" he would call the people living there. And the endless raining was no suitable place for a walking inferno such as him. Water was not his forte, after all. His bright, yellow eyes pierced the girl's icy blue ones, again sparking a connection he'd felt once before, with another lost soul much like his own.

@[member="Saeldar"]

 

[Lief]

He said nothing, but he did as she bid and found himself the seat. She could see him physically relax into the chair, and a look of amazement entered his gaze ~ if only briefly. It was obvious he hadn't expected this kind of planning to have taken place. His intense eyes, pools of molten lava, locked upon hers, and in that moment she knew that he knew. It was time to lay the cards on the table, to put him in his place, to quench his curiosity, which he had kept tightly locked away. It was good that he had patience, he would require it. "A promise was made to you once, long ago..." She began, pacing the floor before where his hulking mass sat. Every word was carefully chosen, her gaze flicking across to him every time her movements changed direction. "But I offer you so much more than was offered back then" not once did she cease in her pacing.

"I can give you what you desire, what you need to refuel your dwindling soul... What little of it you still retain. I feel your presence drifting away, you have lost your fight, your drive ~ but I can return it to you." Suddenly she halted, directly across from him, and turned her body in his direction. "All I ask in return is your unflinching loyalty, that your will be mine to bend in any way I see fit." When she said this the girl's head tilted ever so slightly to the left, and when it did so her eyes seemed to darken. In that moment he could feel a seering pain spread through his mind, and had he not been sitting it would have been enough to bring him to his knees, his mind untrained against such assault. "Do this, and I shall give you your Witch, and all those who ruined you, who made you this empty, pit of a creature." His body slid down the seat as the pain held up...

@[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]
[We have pre-discussed the effect Saeldar will have on Ashborn's mind, the pain et. On top of this, the response Ashborn gives will also have been pre-discussed, as this is a story-development ~ there is no power-playing involved]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

A great pain grabbed hold of the Ashborn; not physical pain, but of the mind. How he could think alone was a mystery, but now his mind was under siege, trying to become bent and controlled. It made him clench his fists, as the veins on his body flared up in response to the pain, locking him into place for the moment. His eyes was unable to open themselves, firmly shut to suppress the agony. A roaring scream was unleashed from his gritting mouth as the fiery veins grew ever brighter, looking as if they'd leak molten lava onto the floor. Moments into the searing pain, however, his body started trembling. The screams of agony escaping his lips gradually turned into a furious roar. The arms of the chair he'd clenched onto so firmly was beginning to waver to the ever-rising heat.

The Ashborn's eyes opened wide, moments before his whole body became set aflame. The pure, rage-filled roar became even louder, as the chair finally gave way. He flew up onto his feet, just as the full power of his inner beast was unleashed. Covering his entire being were tongues of flames, scorching everything they touched. His full height towering above the girl in a menacing fashion, his raging cries continued to echo throughout the ship, screaming in her face. As a last act of defiance, Thyrian lashed out against her, striking the left side of her face that she'd faced him with. Only a minor blow was given, as a fully powered punch would break the skull of any man or woman standing against him. The hit knocked her to the ground, as the fist of many thousand degrees had left a clearly visible scar where he had hit her, burning into her flesh with a sizzling sound.

Having done his damage to the girl, the Ashborn suddenly felt something he'd never felt before. His raging cries for blood and death was soon exchanged for a softer "NO..." as the giant slumped to the ground where he had stood. The flames that had surrounded his body quickly died out, leaving him the charred corpse of a man he was before. On his knees, conflicted over what he had done, he fell silent. He looked over at the girl struggling to regain her composure, and all he could see was the little girl he'd met years ago. What had he done? Was this remorse he felt? If so, it would be for the first time. "KÄRA..." he said, reminding himself of her former name. "LITTLE ONE... I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN..."

@[member="Saeldar"]

 

[Lief]

BAM. As expected, as she had wanted, Ashborn lashed out physically to what she did, and what she said. Despite the seering pain which spread down the left side of her face, despite her collapsing on the ground, he had played into her hand, he had caused his own submission. She had him exactly where she wanted him to be. He knelt down, over her, conflicted, worried, and he knew who it was. There was no denying it now, the truth was out, and it was time for Thyrian to pay the price for such knowledge. Pushing herself up to her knees, while the side of her face still smouldered away, the child glared across to the man with remorse. "Do not regret it, embrace it." This she goaded of him, before forcing her mind back into his, twisting it, making him angry, she wanted him to react, she didn't want him to be passionless, he had to have the emotion, the desire. He had to want the scientists, the alchemists and Circe, all who played a part in making him who he was, to die.

And when he felt that, he would have no choice but to rely on her, for she was the one who could give him anything he desired.

"EMBRACE IT!" she yelled, for the very first time. Saeldar never raised her voice, it was always a calm, collective, rational whisper which emitted from her when she spoke, but now it was different, she goaded him on, wanting more from him. "I will give you your Witch, the scientists, those who did this to you, Thyrian... But in order for them to be yours, you must first be mine." Standing to her full height, which compared to the giant before her was nothing, she glared down at him. "Give yourself to me, Ashborn!" She yelled, although not as loudly as before, "Let your will be mine to do with as I please." And with that she slowly began to lower the intensity of her mental assault. "I will give you what you desire, all I ask is your unflinching loyalty in return. I will reignite the fire within you, give you purpose again. Submit to me!"

@[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Again the piercing agony delved into his mind, making him cry out in pain once more. Only this time, he managed to regain his composure much faster, as his inner demon would again take form before her eyes. He rose to his feet, flaring up bright as the sun as his body was set aflame yet again. The pain turned into pure, unadultered rage as he roared like he did last time. He did not lash out against her this time, however. It seemed the demon inside the Ashborn nourished from the torture, growing more powerful from the rage he felt in response to it. Temperatures rose to way above what even the secured room could take, forcing bulkheads to bend and steam to erupt. For the first time since his awakening, the Ashborn was alive again, in full force. Raising his hands above his head, a menacing, maniacal laugh began to form. It was as if Hell itself had opened its gates and roared its evil head. As the flames emitting from his body went higher into the air, his veins had begun shining with a faint blue tone, much like the center of a candle would.

As the loud laugh eventually died out, he brought his gaze back down on the girl standing so defiant before him. "YESSS..." he hissed loudly. "I AM YOURS TO WIELD, MY MISTRESS!" Regaining further control of the flames covering his entire being, he brought down the temperature somewhat, along with the size of the flames surrounding him. He calmly brought himself down to assume a kneeling position before his new mistress. "I SUBMIT TO YOUR WILL, MY MISTRESS... NOW AND UNTIL THE END OF TIME." His eyes were lifted up to meet hers, and a wicked grin made its way to his face. "WHEN DO WE START, MISTRESS?" His body, still engulfed in fire, flared up even more for a second, as to show his eagerness and willingness to begin to set in motion what she had planned.

@[member="Saeldar"]

 

[Lief]

"Yes..." she said when she saw his transformation, bore witness to the return of his soul, the kindled spirit which ignited deep within him. In truth she had to avert her gaze, or risk losing her ability to see, but she knew... When he knelt down before her, submitting willingly to her. "Now" she said. "We begin now." Turning on her heels she slipped away towards the cockpit, and pressed a communications key. Five, four, three, two... one. Down on Dromund Kaas a miniature explosion would have been subject to room 103, the cell Thyrian had been within for the past four years. More so than this, the static blast will have scrambled the camera systems within the area, destroying that days worth of CCTV. There was no way for them to trace this back to Saeldar, none what so ever ~ she had cleaned up after herself, prints, DNA, and now even visual and audio evidence. A shadow did not leave traces of themselves behind, after all.

Venturing back towards Thyrian she tipped her head to one side. "We need to make you less combustible. I'll work on it." In truth, she was already working on it. Alchemical lessons with @[member='Kaine Zambrano'] meant that she could fabricate him a suit of Alchemical armour in the near-future, provided she took well to Metallurgy. "I want you to go and research into Coruscant, Ashborn. Specifically the First Bank of Coruscant." A Sith she might have been, but that did not mean she had credits to throw around... And Saeldar had something very specific in mind.

@[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]