Trial of Strength

[Mythos]

Mythos City- The Academy of Phyrrus- Arena

The order had come from Bastion and the news had hit Mythos no later than a few hours before his opponent was planetside, he was sure it was to ensure fairness and test readiness as well. It did not matter, from the tower to the arena it was a stroll and all he requested were his Atrisian sparring partners and Anok-eh, his Anubian consort. It was to be a non-lethal fight to determine the first ever Triumvir of strength in the Sith Empire and due to his mastery of the lightsaber and his command over several legions Mythos was considered but so was another. He did not know who it was and he was pretty sure neither did his opponent until they arrived here so he requested a special weapon for this occasion.

Instead of his Ax and rudis he requested the single edge songsteel sword that was made in Atrisia for the king of ages past. It was a beautiful blade with a red handle and a slight slope that Mythos had grown accustom to in his earlier years though the king it was created for never once used it. Emperor Akio of the Atrisian empire was a great leader in some regards but a warrior he was not, this blade was made home in Mythos' hands much better. Wearing only his combat trousers and shoes he walked into the edge room of the arena reserved for masters and met with his Atrisian compatriots. An elderly Atrisian woman named Maya and her daughter Shia held the blade in a traditional fashion awaiting Mythos to take it.

It was wrapped in a long white silk and polished to a mirror finish as to his specifications, beside it it's wooden sheathe colored a red and gold finish with the symbol of Jar'Kai. Mythos halted and preformed a ceremonial bow to each of the females then retrieved the sword, inspecting it and placing it into the sheathe taking both. The duo then bowed and took their leave, pausing to bow at the large Phirk clad Anubian walking in their direction who did the same in return. "Do you know who your opponent is my Lord?" The Anubian asked, his voice a monotone growl that did not reflect emotion or inflection.

Mythos pressed the hatch to the arena open and began to step away, he turned over his shoulder to regard his Anubian before saying. "If it mattered, i would not be here"

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

At last, her opportunity had come.

The Triumvirate had been restored. Three Sith, lording over Strength, Knowledge, and Power amongst them but with one individual goal of ensuring the influence of the Brotherhood of the Sith remained steadfast in the galaxy. Their names would be forever etched in history, their story immortalized for future generations to learn from. Ascending to a position of such great influence took tireless dedication and unrivaled mastery, and for the seat of Triumvir of Strength only two carried enough of both within their beings to be worthy. There was only one true way to determine who stood above the other- a duel. One on one, but it was made clear it would not be to the death. They were still part of the same Brotherhood. The strongest would be the victor.

At last, Darth Avacyn's opportunity had come.

The Sith Lady was one of the two worthy enough to obtain consideration. She had been there when the Brotherhood was founded on the moonlet Othrys. Although a mere Knight back then, there was no questioning her dedication and in time that had manifested into her rise. With her recognition as Sith Lady she laid claim to the title of Lady of Defiance, for that embodied her. Her disposition to question that which others looked to teach her and her willingness to go against those who once had absolute authority over her actions were at the root of all her accomplishments. None would ever convince her to stray from her own truth.

Yet the greatest testament to Avacyn's dedication to the Brotherhood was the creation of the Valkyries. The eyes of judgment on the battlefield, their gaze fixed on those who opposed the Brotherhood and the Empire. Those who were able to the Dark Side and its truths would receive an extended hand to rise up and find renewed conviction. The ignorant, the blind, and the unwilling however were shown no mercy. For them, the battlefield would become their final resting place.

Now, she was given the opportunity to be recognized for her tireless efforts in name of the Brotherhood. The question of who was more worthy of carrying the title Triumvir of Strength was to be answered on the planet of Nathema, in the Academy of Phyrrus in Mythos City. Although it had not been disclosed who her opponent was the destination seemed to be a clear giveaway, but it came with just as much of a downside. While she knew her opponent, he had the advantage of familiar territory. Still, she would look to use the edge she had been given to its fullest extent.

In a room on the other side of the arena from where Mythos made his preparations, Avacyn made hers. She was alone, finding that which she required in the silence around her as she meditated to center herself. Her figure was clad in the armor of the Valkyrie founders, of which only she remained. Two lightsabers, clearly created to be a pair, hung from her hips. Sitting on the ground in front of her was a small black jewerly box and from within, the Dark side brewed. Something in the Force then shifted. It was the most subtle thing but the woman's focus on that which only few were gifted to see allowed her to notice it. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing that the brilliant emerald in her eyes had succumbed to the corrupting red and amber colors of the Dark side.

The time was here.

Instead of directly standing up, however, Avacyn first calmly reached for the little black box in front of her, looking at it for a moment before slowly opening it. Within it was an amulet rarely used for careless use carried a price, but for this duel she would have to reach for the limits of her capabilities. In a time long past it helped her embrace the Dark side; now it would aid her in finding its limits. This was the moment that could validate all of her efforts, make all the sacrifices and countless days worth it. Failure was not an option, not when she had finally come this close.

The woman put the amulet around her neck before getting on her feet, taking one deep breath in and out before beginning her walk towards the arena. With a steeled face and an unyielding poise she stood before the hatch, taking one last moment before opening it and moving forward to stand eye to eye with the one who stood in the way of her ultimate goal. Her visage betrayed nothing. No fear. No rage. No excitement. No anxiety.

At last, her opportunity had come.

[member="Mythos"]​

 

[Mythos]

In the arena of the [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] university everything was built around his visage. Two statues of the Sith Lord stood on both sides of the arena, one wielding a lightsaber and the other twisted into a bestial form impossible for life naturally to create. Between the two statues was a large sand filled arena, totally flat and surrounded by a durasteel wall protected by a shield generator. Above the wall were the stands that students could come and learn to, Knights and Lords alike had plenty of room and individual settings to the battle to judge and learn for themselves.

When Mythos walked into the arena from the statue holding a lightsaber he did so with an eye over his creation and crowd, not his opponent. He had a feeling he knew who it would be, made a small wage with Anok-Eh, his Anubian consort as well. Two weeks generals pay all in Kyber Crystals. Mythos wagered it was [member="Kor Vexen"], for the tales he heard of him deemed him a worthy adversary due to his strength, Anok-eh disagreed. The Anubian wagered it would be the leader of the valkiries [member="Kaalia Pavanos"].

As Mythos' eyes met with his opponent it was with an annoyed expression thinking of the Anubians face. He smiled, his face was the contrary of his opponent, it betrayed all emotions. The golden hair that was contrast to the sands and his blade rested comfortably upon his shoulders. He expression was a smile of booming confidence after shaking off the reminder of his lost bet.

Mythos gave her a traditional bow a few meters away then rising to his full height and brandishing his songsteel atrisian curved blade at a horizontal level. It was a non-lethal battle but the weapons were live.

"Let us begin sister. We have a mandalorian satellite to review after this" He said confidently while taking the classical stance of Juyo. He had heard of Darth Avacyn before, but to actually see her preform in battle? He had not had the pleasure.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Instead of receiving a verbal answer to his call to begin their duel, Darth Avacyn took her time calmly tilting her head from side to side, stretching the muscles in her neck to loosen them up. Talk was cheap in her eyes and she saw no reason to part any words onto the man on the other side of the arena. Even less so did she feel obligated to take any less time to get in her ready stance, unwilling to rush into combat as quickly as possible. The tempest grew stronger on the inside, but for now carefully confined to not let it show. The bow Mythos gave her was returned though still, despite the calling to follow tradition often being lost on the woman. It was a sign of respect and that was the least she could give him, for he was still a fellow Sith. He was an opponent that would require Avacyn to find her limits and that was exactly what she expected and even wanted. Claiming a title with such weight to it deserved nothing less than that.

With Mythos taking the signature Juyo stance, it gave Avacyn the very short yet important window to decide. Though two hilts hung from her hips she was well-practiced in both single-blade as well as Jar'Kai combat, giving her a choice to make. Her opponent's apparent form of choice was much more aggressive than her own application of the dual-blade style, and as such only one hilt was unclipped. With her left hand firmly girpping it the blade came to life, the crystal inside giving it a dark red color. Sliding her foot forward, feeling the dirt below her shift and memorizing that feeling, she took a stance indicative of the Makashi form. Speed and precision over brute strength and fury- that was how she was taught how to use her lightsaber from the first time she held one in her hands.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

Makashi... The first formal form Mythos had ever learned. Taught to him by [member="Darth Ophidia"] when he began his training as an acolyte and further advanced by Tanek in much more brutal circumstances. It was without a doubt the greatest form for single combat in his eyes but no form was a match for Juyo, not for him. Slightly annoyed at the silence Mythos flicked his wrist and dashed forward angling his body so when his blade whirled it slapped the sand into his opponents direction.

His single blade was not designed for Juyo, in all of his time practicing the form and learning from others Juyo was shown with a dual blade almost every single time. Mythos considered this illogical, strikes were core of Juyo, with one hand free he could take this battle into a brawl. He knew there was no brawl he could not win.

His opening was a combination of two rapid slices, one down and one up finishing with a fake retreat thrust. He knew it was too early to switch stances or try anything to fancy, instead he needed to know what Darth Avacyn was capable of.

Many Sith he knew, or at least had an idea how they fought against other practitioners of the force. He was not confident he knew of his opponent... did she share the same confusion? The same timid hesitation in battle? He could not give himself the luxury of pondering it.
[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The hint of a grin showed on Avacyn's face when Mythos began to dash forward to start the duel proper. Already she had begun to get under his skin just slightly, something that came unexpected but was firmly kept in mind. The weapon that was psychology had the ability to cut as deep as the sharpest sword, to disregard it when it showed to be effective was foolish. That tool was a great asset in the Sith lady's arsenal when made available to her and it seemed like her opponent had done so. Acting on it right away however was not part of the approach that she quickly calculated. Still, her strategy was now set in stone- throw Mythos off enough to see if he would slip up.

This approach to the beginning of the duel had led to giving her opponent first initiative, forcing Avacyn to react to the slices of his sword aimed to bring her down. Quickly she brought up her saber and held it sideways in the blade's path as it came crashing down at her, not to keep it in place but to slow it down enough for her to take a step backwards. It was then quickly pulled back to give her the room necessary to handle the slice upwards, a move that was answered in a similar yet mirrored fashion. Keeping her eyes closely affixed to the blade she looked to make a move herself but was met by a sudden thrust and instead she brought up her blade to meet it from underneath and pivoted her body around it, although the left gauntlet piece of her armor gained a large scratch to show it was quite the close call. Mythos had elected to begin with speed over brute force, which caught her off-guard for a moment, but speed was her expertise.

From her pivoted position, now standing right from where she was before, Avacyn launched an attack of her own. Her lightsaber was pulled back to quickly be launched into a cutting motion aimed at the upper leg. Throughout it all her motions seemed like one fluid sequence, as though it was always meant to be done in that manner. As far as she was concerned, as long as precision had the upper hand, she did too.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

She moved like water and as his blade soared through the air it felt like it struck water as well. Her slight smirk only made him even more irate, he was used to battling sith with charisma and pride, not stoicism. It made him angry, he did not know why. Juyo was all about attacking, in the teaching of @Darth Ferus: "You never stop. You stop and you die."

Mythos dug his heels into the sand and bent his knees as soon as he felt the rythmic vibrations of the songsteel clang off her gauntlet. The sound gave him a sense of post traumatic stress, the sound itself was reminiscent of wars that had long past and that only happened because of the One Sith. His eyes beamed open like portals as soon as they narrowed his jaw opened wide in a scream so wide it seemed like his jaw snapped opened from the force.

When her attack came forward his furious, berserker like attack came forward to meet hers. While he had started focusing on his speed now he dug in his heels and gave his blows all the weight he could muster in a downward chop meant to blow her weapon and her hands off this planet.

His hands left his sword entirely as well, now that he had gained that close proximity he stepped in with the block and then followed up by striking her shoulder with a chop, keeping the other blade and hand to his front. Still screaming, still moving and striking like a Valkyr savage he lunged another strike with his knee and finished by attempting to lunge at her throat and wrist, a grapple that was followed by a hip toss to get her to the ground. He already knew she was precise, she was fast and she had dexterity... so instead he brawled.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Rage.

To Darth Avacyn it was one of the most beautiful sights to behold, only overshadowed by her wife. She revelled in the anger of others, fed on it, and the anger of a Sith lord was like no other. Mythos' scream pierced her ears, but instead of deterring her it only added to this feeling and the satisfaction over the fact those emotions were because of her actions. Her strike was absorbed by his blade and the resistance she felt in the bladelock made it clear he was putting in much physical strength, signifying a shift in strategy on his end.

His next move confirmed the woman's suspicion, as her opponent used the fact there wasn't much distance left between them to get physical. With a chop he hit her shoulder, the strength behind it causing her to stagger backwards. Waves of pain came from the point of impact, the armor not helping much in mediating the blow. Pushing through it she sidestepped the incoming knee but before she could properly react one of his hands had found itself around her throat, feeling it squeeze down her windpipe. His other hand had managed to grab her left wrist to ensure she couldn't use her blade to simply cut off his hand, but she still had one more hand free and although she wouldn't be able to pry his off of her throat, she would break the hold through different means.

With lightning-fast reflexes Avacyn's right hand would grab his, after which fire would burst out from all around it, as though it was set ablaze, aiming to scorch his hand until he let go. "That's not..." she forced out despite the lack of oxygen she was able to inhale, "how you... treat a lady."

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

The spectators must have been hard pressed to see the fight, their clash had kicked up a miniature sandstorm. It was impossible to see the stands or the people but inside the nexus of the malestrom there was a fire igniting. Literally. Abandoning his main weapon and resorting to brawls and brute force he had finally established a grip on her neck and sought to squeeze the life out of her with sheer mass and force. Blood from his bitten lip dripped from his lips mixed with saliva as he forced all his might into crushing her windpipe. His scream had devolved into a low but powerful growl and his visage was of a man gone insane with rage, fury.... madness.

In his blind recklessness he tunnel visioned, as impossible as it was to not feel his body burning, Mythos felt only the desire to kill. Something snapped as his anger rose but a second too late he realized his arm was already elbow deep in bright and searing flames. He had been set on fire before but these flames were not the kind mandalorians launched from wrist launchers... This flame was different, he felt the fire inside his very bones and it was quickly eating his arm.

Close proximity with a Pyro fighter turned out to be a bad idea, he needed distance and knew how to get it. When his voice rang out to make a sound other than screaming it sounded off, like the person speaking was not using his voice. "Do you only speak when in pain?"

He reaffirmed his grip on her throat and brought her to him with force augmented strength to meet at full impact with his forehead in the nose hopefully creating distance and perhaps stalling the inferno that was consuming his arm and now part of his shoulder. He knewat that moment his arm would be of little use in this battle if it went any longer.
[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The amulet around Avacyn's neck sent waves of incredible agony through her entire body as she let the Force flow through her, but her mind somehow only became sharper. Instead of succumbing to it the pain was embraced, fuelling her connection to the Dark side and allowing her to draw even deeper from it. Her aura exuded an intensity that was overwhelming to those who were less powerful in the Force and with it came heightened senses, allowing her the time to react as Mythos pulled her towards him in an attempt to headbutt her. Still, she needed to free herself from the hand that wrapped around her neck and robbed her of the oxygen she needed and so her next course of action was clear. Use the momentum of the pull in her favor.

Though Mythos was physically much more imposing than Avacyn herself, that did not mean he couldn't be taken off his feet. While the distance between the two was rapidly closing the woman's feet left the ground before she kicked them forwards, aiming for his lower leg, the aim being that he would lose his balance and she could free herself from his clutches. She too needed to create distance so to put an end to a situation where physical strength had the upper hand and a way could be found to let speed and precision reign once more.

Would this be successful, she would roll away from Mythos the moment she hit the ground then kip back up onto her feet, letting herself take a number of deep breaths now that her windpipe was no longer being squeezed down upon.

Yet throughout this all, the question that Avacyn was asked was met by nothing but silence on her end. She saw no reason to say any more than she already had, so Mythos would be left to wonder whether what he questioned was true or not.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

In battle moments of full contact and counters were so fast that they ended before the sand that had been kicked up hit the ground. Mythos was used to fighting things that out weighed him tenfold, the Ax was a proper monster hunting weapon and his weapons were oversized for this very reason. As he came closer she unexpectedly brought him down by taking out one of his knees and creating the distance: Her Way.

He cocked his head from his kneeling position and regarded her aura with an intense fascination. Truly she was the one, the one who he could trust would hold the title of Triumvir with the savaegry he demanded... but there was still one more technique he had up his sleeve.

His left arm was still burning but the flames had burned through the main layers of tissiue and already ate through his nervous system. His arm was a limp, black charred limb that hung with no movement. As Mythos brought himself to stand he grabbed under his shoulder and pinched as hard as he could. With the same movement of bringing himself to stand he ripped his entire arm off while letting a roar escape his lips.

Blood poured from his shoulder as he locked eyes with his opponent, the loss of his limb seeming to not even phase him. He smiled and nodded as he threw his charred limb to the side as if it meant nothing but a dented part of his armor. "You're the best warrior I have ever fought against" He said, opening the palm of his hand to reveal crackling flames mixed with sith lightning.

He smiled and went into a fighting stance while his sword, the songsteel blade that he had cast away began to shake uncontrolably and vibrate. The image of Mythos would become distorted and suddenly another Mythos stepped beside him, then another and another. Dopplegangers, the oldest trick in his mentalism handbook.

"Which" The First One said.

"One" Said the second, flanking to the right.

"Is" Said the third, standing beside the songsteel blade.

"Real?" Said the fourth and final one to her ear, a whisper, as he stood right behind her.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

With ragged breaths Avacyn turned her body towards Mythos again and couldn't help but let her lips curl in a slight but twisted smirk, even through the regret from expending a bit too much energy than she could afford at this stage by kipping up. She dropped down to a knee from fatigue as she looked through the strands of crimson hair that hung in front of her face, another rush of the Dark side washing over her at the sight of Mythos' arm. There was no time to get cocky until a winner was declared, but with her opponent having only one arm left this was very much her fight to lose. Now, she had to finish it.

Avacyn's lightsaber had dropped to the ground while escaping from Mythos' clutches and so she called upon the Force to return it to her hand while she calmly got back up to both of her feet, then brushed her hair backwards to get it out of the way. She watched on in surprise, however as her opponent savagely sipped off his own destroyed arm without even the slightest flinch, instead letting out a roar to show he wasn't quite done yet. Her blade reactivated and pushing through the fatigue and agony that wreaked havoc on her entire body she retook her stance, more than willing to make him stay down if he gave her no other choice. "I will confess," the woman spoke out inbetween her breaths, "that my limits have been pushed this day." Even though the fight wasn't over, there had been multiple moments where she stood millimeters away from defeat, or even death. She was equally close to chalking the outcome of those moments up to luck.

And then Mythos seemingly split in four.

Three of them she saw in front of the woman, but it was the fourth that revealed himself to stand right behind her that truly put her on high alert. She had to determine which of the four was truly him before he had the chance to take advantage and there was only one method that came to her in the spur of the moment. In that split second she stomped a foot onto the ground, her mind focused through the Force and onto the ground right beneath the three doppelgangers as well as the real Mythos and herself. Calling upon her earth shaping she caused pillars to shoot up out of the ground underneath. The clones weren't real, so perhaps they would not react to the physical world. At the same time Avacyn would not gift any free elevated position to her opponent, as she herself stood on one of the pillars as well.

[member="Mythos"]​

 

[Mythos]

Four images, four bleeding illisions made with a trick he learned long ago. As he switched gears in his fighting tactics his body relaxed, his real body, in combat his experience almost slowed time down. An unmistakable smile crossed his lips, she was watching, somewhere in the stage hidden in the shadows the eyes of [member="Darth Ophidia"] watched him. He wanted her to see this, every move and angle had lead up to this one move.

Her voice sounded somewhat like he imagined it would, his visions of the future had not lied. This ability only allowed to him when shutting everything down was something he perfected to rival his master. As the stones lifted him and his illusions high they jumped and switched possitions with each other individually and with different movements and leaps. Their speed was equal to that of their master, the skill and fluidity as seemless as expected from a master of his craft.

Mythos was creating each and every one of them detailedly while relying on the memory his future sight to be able to see where to move. Each step had to be flawless and calculated as he used stones kicked up by the attack as stepping stones to reach his opponent. Every muscle and reflex had to be perfect, every detail of his memory had to be followed.

"You are best fighter i have ever fought" He said again, but this time his voice projected from nothing, another quality of mentalism that he now combined to further convolute the four illussions dashing straight for her. Two banked to the right and high coming at flanking angles, one was coming from below the pillars and the final one, the real one, was coming straight through.

The sword, blasted by her own power flew in the air and aimed for the celing but with his speed the real Mythos finally revealed himself by grabbing the blade in an inverted grip while baerly a meter from his opponent. Using the dust and debris to his own advantage and the length of his songsteel blade he came at an angle similar to the third illussion and would seek to stay his blade as the tip touched her throat.

"But you still have much to learn."

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

There is always another trick.

Trickery relied on its user to hold a knowledge advantage, to know something that those who it was targeted towards did not. The unprepared were often helpless against it as they would not be able to see through it until it was too late. Under [member='Krest']'s teaching tests, deceit and tricks were everywhere Avacyn went and at first, she was ever the unprepared. Although she hated to admit it, those moments had taught her invaluable lessons and that which had begun to unfold before her seemed all too similar to those tests of old. When all four appearances reacted accordingly to the pillars that were raised beneath their feet, it elicited no shock and no surprise from the woman. It was simply yet another puzzle to piece together, another layer of obscurity to peel back.

There is always another trick.

Mythos's blade had found itself being flung into the air which caught Avacyn's eye. It was a piece of the puzzle to be put in place and so it was concluded to be useless to focus her attention on the illusions, for they were just that. Whichever, or wherever, the true Mythos was would reveal himself soon enough, for his blade would be the weapon with which he could attempt to bring her down to her knees. The moment her opponent revealed himself, her response to what was to come had already been set in motion. She had to outwit Krest to overcome him and become a true lady of the Sith, now she had to outwit Mythos to claim the title she coveted so dearly. It was almost poetic to her.

When Mythos landed in front of Avacyn with his sword raised against her, he would find her to be much too calm and collected to truly be defeated. She let him speak, but did not take long to give her retort.

"A fool is he, who speaks with confidence on the earth shaper's ground." A Kro Varian proverb the woman had learned from her father, and one that had never been so accurate. With her lightsaber still firmly clutched in her hand she gently tapped her foot, but the consequence of that one action was the one mistake Mythos had made catching up to him. Trusting the pillars his opponent had erected. One foot would begin to slip as the part of the pillar he stood on crumbled away underneath him, and in a split second he would find he had no ground left for him to stand on. Would he lose his balance and fall, Avacyn would jump after Mythos and land on her feet next to him, then kick away his sword and point her own blade at his neck.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

The two had now anihilated half of the arena, the sheer power of their might alone was too much for the walls that surrounded them. His breath was rythmical, his left shoulder kept bleeding profusley and the blood loss was blurring his vision... but he could not surrender, it simply was not in his nature to back down. Or to lose.

The moment his blade stayed before she spoke seemed eternal, it meant more that either of them knew... but two Sith Lords of Old did know. This was not just a trial, a test, a duel... this was the culmination of three generations of Sith teachings. The Two greatest Sith teachers and their greatest students, all their teachings and all the sacrifices, all the battles and all they had learned lead up to this. To Mythos it was a pre requisite to win, not to gain a title...

But to prove that he was finally strong enough to defeat the Shadow of Death, The Dark Lady of the Sith Assassins. [member="Darth Ophidia"]. To make her proud, to finally give her the reward she deserved, for the student to surpass the master.

Her calm demeanor and tone made him smile, it gave him the joy of battle that he had so desperatley yearned for. Ophidia would have never been caught with that and neither did the student of Krest. A chuckle escaped his lips as his feet fell through the sands, as gravity took a hold of him and brought him down. Instead of darting away or making any flashy moves Mythos let go of his sword and let himself fall.

His arms were outstreched as he welcomed his fall, his mind was entierly focused on the hilt of his blade. He hesistated, this challenge of avoiding killing his opponent cost him the end of the match... Hesitation was something she would never approve of, now he would have to literally aim for the kill and hope he failed slightly.

His laugh echoed through the silence, as he fell the blade did not move, it stayed through the power of telekinesis floating thrust to the hollow of her throat. For a few more seconds, until he hit the ground he thought, if she moved he could just kill her.... It would hopefully buy him some time.

He hoped not to use the power granted to him by Kezeroth the Beholder's Holocron of Rage, not because he wanted to hold back but because unleashing the full mastery of Force Rage would give this fight a literal timer. It was clear now that he had no choice, with a single arm he sacrificed to end fight that timer already existed.

As he fell, forgoing all senses and focus other than his telekinetic grasp on the sword he awaited the impact of the fall. As soon as the blade was out of sight, he called upon a power best left dormant, a power created by a monster that was now dead whose only aim is to destroy. Ancient power had a price to be payed and now Mythos would teach this one of that power, all she had to do was keep fighting.

His laugh echoed again, this time with the ring of his blade hitting the floor. "Is this all you can muster? If you wish to be a Triumvir you must match the greatest them all"

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The blade was kept near Avacyn's throat, yet it did not phase her. Another pillar rose up behind her with the stomp of her foot and it allowed her to take a step backwards and away from the blade. The thud of Mythos hitting the floor followed, accompanied with the clattering of the blade when it too fell to the ground. The battle was still not finished and her opponent's statement made that fact very clear, but if he truly believed the woman had no tricks left up her own sleeve he would end up a sorely disappointed man. It was something she would keep to herself until necessary, but as Mythos' aura flared up in a kind of rage she had not seen before she would have to draw into the deepest pool of power she possessed, something she had not used before.

The blade of her lightsbaber extinguised as Avacyn tossed the hilt aside and leapt off the pillar, some distance between her and Mythos still there while she let all five crumble and fall upon landing. Her opponent would tap into an immeasurable rage, while she would show the true extent of her shaping abilities. The Kro Varian shapers would never grant her, a heretic, the title of master shaper but there was not a hint of doubt in her mind that she was more powerful than every single one of them. "Get on your feet and finish this before drawing conclusions," her voice commanded, carrying with it an intangible power that was not there before. A powerful wind kicked up, the ground shook and began showing cracks and wisps of flame fluttered in the air around her as an intense heat radiated off of her. As much as Avacyn lived by the philosophy that the Force was not something to be used in excess, this duel called for all she could grasp.

"For I refuse to let the title fall into the hands of another." If a full display of power from the Lady of Defiance was what he desired, she was more than glad to grant his wish.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

He closed his eyes while the sand kicked up around him, the blast of his own body hitting the floor taking the wind right out of him. That's when the Force Rage came, a full mastery of the ability granted to him only through the holocron of the monster he had slain. Thousands of light years away, deep in the castle of [member="Darth Ophidia"], the blade of the Beholder ignited on it's own.

It was time to end this battle once and for all.

When his eyes opened the irises of his eyes were not the same, tears of blood began to drip from his eyes, his muscles expanded in rapid growth and he could feel an unending well of power coarsing through his veins.

Her words echoed in his mind, the last words she had spoken to him the last time they met.

"You have failed Animus..."

Those words meant everything, she was right. In his mad search for power he had abandoned her teachings, The Sith Assassins, Ferus and the Shadows of Death. In exchange for this sacrifice he had gained renown, fame, glory and artifacts beyond his wildest dreams. The cost was failure to his master, to the Sith Assassins... His training in the arts left incomplete. If he was to return, to re join the shadow by her side he would have to prove once again he was worthy of her time, worthy of her teachings. Worthy of the title of Shadow.

"You seek to become the Triumvir of Strength. To stand beside our glorious Emperor [member="Darth Carnifex"], to earn the presence of [member="Darth Prazutis"] my brother and guardian." He said, raising to his feet while levitating with telekinesis.

The Lady of Defiance stared at him surrounded by an inferno that seemed to pour from the depths of hell. What stood in the sands staring back at her was not the same warrior either, this battle had brought both of their hidden personas to bare. Around her the fire burned the sand, the sheer temperature increase in such a short time began to crystalize the sands in a cyclone. Around Mythos' body the visuals were much less noticable, the scars of his runes were glowing in a sickly red hue, the air itself became heavy with the power of the dark side of the force.

"The title I fight for is to be once again beside my master, to do that i must defeat you." His voice was echoed by another, his voice was accompanied by the voice of Kezeroth the Beholder, the legendary Gen'Dai that granted him this power as a reward for slaying the beast.

"I have become the greatest Sith Warrior in the galaxy, a legend amongst other Sith and an undefeatable god of battle to my enemies." As he spoke his stance changed, her worthiness granted her these words and this story, the legend of the Sith Magnus. He fell into the stance of Juyo without a weapon, everything of him spelled confidence and an unshakable bravery.

"If you wish to become the Triumvir of Strength then you must match my strength! The strength of the strongest! The strength of the greatest warrior of his Majesty!" His teeth chattered, the blood from his eyes began to make a pool on the sand beneath his feet. She had pushed him to the brink just like [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] had done all those years ago... The Day he was defeated.

"Show me what you can do... show me you are worthy to serve beside the emperor. Your damn titles, your damn soldiers, your accursed ranks are meaningless if you cannot match my power!"

He saw it now, the future and the past, the ability he gained after trading his raw power to the Ancient Eye. He was defeated by the Jedi Grandmaster, by Ophidia, By Ferus and by Asajj... it was these loses that shaped him into a legendary warrior.

"I must be worthy again of her, of the Shadow if i am ever to gain that title for myself. If i am ever to be worthy to regain my blade, to become a Sith Assassin again."

He extended his hand and gestured her to attack. "Then I must begin by defeating the Lady of Defiance"

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Then match your power I will."

The words were uttered as absolute and undeniable fact, reverberated by the echoes of power Darth Avacyn exuded in overwhelming amounts through the Force. It was only through her sheer force of will that she had come to this point, becoming the woman she was now, and that defiance stood unbowed and unbroken even through the battle she had endured thus far. Had she accepted the life of a servant and slave to first the Jedi and then the Order of Ren, she would have been nothing but another faceless being lost to the cruelties of the Galaxy, forgotten the moment she went to take her last breath. But that was not what came to pass. The defiance that first sparked within the sixteen-year-old Kaalia Voldaren on the day marked by the facial scar she now proudly displayed became a wildfire that would burn inside her soul forever. That was the defiance that allowed her to triumph and flourish.

A nobody without a home, without a family. A child who truly had nothing, struggling to survive in an uncaring galaxy. That child now stood before Mythos, a woman who shaped her future by her own hand. This was where Mythos would learn the true meaning of the word that defined Darth Avacyn.

Defiance.

A shockwave infused with an intense heat shot outwards all around the woman, carrying with it a cloud of sand that began containing glimmers created by tiny glass pieces, reaching Mythos in merely a blink of an eye. Then Avacyn moved, her lightning-fast approach being followed by a blast of wind dwarfing hurricanes in an attempt to drive her opponent into one of the walls of the arena.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

It was a dangerous ability to use, the utter strength of the explosion was enough to shatter walls and crack the statues that flanked them both. It was also beautiful to behold, the beauty in strength and power as sand turned into mirrored crystals and then by the will of whom they existed shaterred into a million tiny shards and showered the arena, each one of them a tiny dagger with enough deadly bite to match any lightsaber. He had seen it once before with his training partner Lord Sebastian one of the best fighters of his time.

There was a reason why Lord Sebastian was gone and Mythos was still yet here, there was a reason why few of the One Sith Lords still remained. Most stayed dead, hiding or gone...

Her attack swung in the blink of an eye but Mythos did not blink, she tursted him to survive this Apocalyptic attack then he would return that trust in kind with a technique lost to time, Deadly Sight. Fueling the irises of his eyes with the full power of force rage a white light beamed from his eyes and became a blinding light similar to the light of the sun.

He turned his face directly into the source of her force signature as how he could only see through Force Sight. Like a solar flare he parted through the flames like a sea, slamming the base of the statue behind his opponent and finishing the job that her attack had started.

"Then by fire be purged!"
[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

A scream born of pure agony poured into the Force as Mythos's Deadly Sight reached Darth Avacyn, attempting to burn her away from the inside out. If he was allowed to retain his vision on her it was going to spell the end of not just the duel but potentially her life, a realization that sent the shock through her system that unlocked the deepest recesses of her connection to the Force. There was too much left to live for and accomplish to die here, so merely letting a chance of her death being the result exist was something that justified whatever was necessary to be the last one standing. Anything to put an end to the threat Mythos posed.

After hearing the thud, created by her opponent's back colliding with stone, Avacyn drew from her nearly-depleted pool of strength to wrap the Force around the cracked statue he had been tossed into. Her hands were held outwards with her fingers slowly curling into her palms, causing the base to crack even further before suddenly pulling her arms backwards, pulling the entirety of the statue down and sending it in a rapid crash course with Mythos. The amulet around her neck reacted with an intensity the woman had never felt before, sending a shockwave of agony through her body that nearly equalled the effects of Mythos's Deadly Sight.

Then, the amulet cracked. Her own blood contained within began seeping out and in its place it sucked in whatever excess of Dark side power it could, hungrily consuming part of the Darkness of the Deadly Sight's effect on Avacyn. It did not make the agony any less bearable but no longer was it inches away from burning her down to ashes from within. With one final pulling motion, the woman caused the statue to close the distance between it and the ground even faster and when it came down, the ground trembled from the impact..

[member="Mythos"]