Huts.
They were carefully hidden away within the glacial underfoot. Each one nestled within the walls of the crystallized ice. The thick wooden planks that lifted certain houses of the indigenous people of Hoth were surprisingly stable. The entrances were littered fur from local fauna. The people of such a tribe were clearly hunters. Bones of Hoth hogs were hung along the frames of the doors to keep intruders at bay. Such tactics were useless against Orion and Vereshin. Orion observed the surroundings carefully. The tundra village was well maintained. His only issue was the smell, a cauldron of sorts sat at the center boiling the hearty meat of a freshly captured animal. It was left unattended, an odd practice when it came to cooking. Orion's time behind the stove was always given close attention for the fine meals he made. In any case, Orion knew he was far from home.
The mystical light that had captured Orion's interest was swayed by a hurtling scream that came in the form of a terrified woman. Like a pack of wolves others followed as the tribal people of the village exited the far off huts. The dirty woman cried for assistance as she latched onto Vereshin with her frail fingers. Orion observed his fellow sith as he stripped the lady's grip from his attire. He wouldn't be tainted by a lowly peasant such as her. Still, she pleaded. Orion waved her off and stepped slightly ahead of her before false, truths were spread from his fellow companions mouth.
"Do calm down, madam, we are here to assist."
A gathering of strange fur wearing miscreants enclosed on them. Orion was surprised about their strikingly confused daze. They were unfamiliar with outsiders it seemed, thankfully they had arrived to deal with whatever nuisance lingered afar. The feverishly, excited woman tripped in a hurry to have them both follow. The crowd of villagers spread as they made their way to the hut in question. A ripple of dark traces slipped out from the home. The disturbance felt heavy, like a anchor rested on Orion's chest. The darkside was surely the cause, but this was an infectious feeling, almost rotten. Distracted by the sudden source of power, he was greeted with a rather large man.
The man was encased in a large fur lined coat. The hairs each a different color as it spread through his chest area. On his arms were vambraces, made of bone and tiny white teeth. The straps were made of leather to bind them against his arms. Underneath the vambraces rested another layer of cloth. Orion's eyes shifted lower, his lush green eyes examining an odd belt. On the waist of the shaman was a metal belt. Threaded and stitched to it were large husks, which at their base were chiseled out into a hollow hole. On top of the opening that the shaman had created was a soft brown flap, a tool for drinking no doubt. Orion was intrigued by the man and before he got a chance to observe the rest of him, he spoke.
"Maria went into the caves..." Orion listened carefully waiting to hear the rest of the story. "... and when she returned..." Orion could sense the sadness from the shamans voice. To Orion, the shaman seemed defeated as if he was the cause of whatever was going on. Orion stretched his arm toward the husky man, his palm falling on his shoulders. The sith knew the man had been guilty, but finding the right words to admit such a thing was hard. It spoke volumes of what Orion had been through while being a sith. Orion stepped closer to the shaman, his chrome mask encompassing a terrifying image.
"We will cleanse her." Orion said, as his arm retracted from the shaman. He motioned Vereshin forward, giving the okay to proceed. "My friend will heal your pain." There was a pause and just before Orion stepped by the large tribal man he said one more thing. "Find it."
The shaman stepped aside and lifted his head to Orion. A confused face spread across the wrinkles on his forehead. It swelled inside him for only a moment before the shaman finally asked.
"Find what?"
"Find strength in the force." Orion said, his glance like daggers as he stepped through into the tainted hut.
The hut while small from the outside was rather large. Its circular floor plan was fixed with nails and bone to hold the planks down tightly. Symbols laced with fragrances were littered around the opening room that they had stepped into. Jars that sat on the beautifully crafted tables held tiny needles. Whether the needles were for thread or other practices, Orion did not know. The atmosphere surrounding them was dauntingly, ominous. The chants that sequentially formed a harmonious tone fought to suppress the lingering darkness. The healers didn't flinch as Orion and Vi were ushered further in by an older couple. The long hallway creaked with each step, worse even, the sapping energy that hid behind the crooked door almost denied entry.
The force circulated the tiny room as the door splintered inward and allowed the sith to enter. The tendrils of the darkside that normally greeted Orion, no longer existed. Instead, black infected limbs of the force reached out to blanket him. It felt empty, almost like a false greeting from the living force. Orion rejected it, his eyes falling on a young girl shackled down by the bonds of sacred twine created from shamanistic rituals. It was a interesting choice, however, how long the bonds would hold was unknown. The girl shared properties from darkside corruption and as she jerked upward, bright, yellow eyes pierced through him. The young girl's mouth snapped twice, before a new presence erupted from her being.
"Begone intruder! This child belongs to me!"
The deep demonic screech, presented itself angrily. Orion felt it, the sudden change in the air. The flickering flame from the hundreds of candles remained as a gust of wind invaded the tiny room. The young girl jerked upward, sheets sliding free from her feet. It seemed that the black infection from the possession plagued her entire body. The veins in her toes strained as they popped. A tiny crack bellowed from the girl's ankle as it twisted in a paranormal way. Orion questioned how severe the situation was. Still, he stood strong and mentally focused. The notes and scripture he read explained to maintain a positive thought process. Unless, you wanted to be possessed yourself.
The girl continued to stay in a lifted stasis, groans slipping from her deathly lips. The gown she wore stained with yellow saliva from a long night of resistance. The bruises on her arms told Orion everything he needed to know. He lifted a empty notebook from his cloak and scribbled something on the page as he dissected the cause.
"The bruises show this was happening long before it got her. It seems that the spirit is clearly a vengeful. Whoever got a hold of her was capable of the force. According to several different texts this means that in death the user retained enough power to interact with the physical world. The only odd thing is that your daughter..." Orion paused looking to the man that showed them in. "Your daughter shows no signs to fighting back from the physicality. Several spots on her body are fairly vulnerable places, she either allowed this spirit to weaken her or..." Orion looked to Vereshin before finishing. "We might be witnessing something far worse than a vengeful spirit. Which quite frankly, could lead to undetermined outcomes. I apologize for anything ahead of time, now where to begin?"
Orion closed the notebook and shuffled it away back into his cloak. He lifted his pale lengthy fingers and formed an 'L' shaped motion in the air. He closed one eye and leaned back and forth before he found what he was looking for. A intrusion spot rested at the right side of her neck, hidden by her hair on most days. Orion's eyes widened. The silence that filled the room forced a sudden drop in temperature. Orion's heart dropped, the answer staring back at him. All the signs spelled it out for him, like a map leading the way to the young girls corruption.
"A demon."
[member="Vereshin"]
