#jadus

«What an outrageous folly.»

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Sadia Ginnis was head cryptanalyst of the Alliance Code-breaking Department’s GEMINI division, otherwise called ‘Blaecca’s Street’. No one knew why Lady Beniko had chosen the name but her friend Billie, who had worked on Beniko’s staff until the disaster on Ziost, said that it might be the Lady’s love of literary references peeping through her ice-cold exterior.

Billie had said that the Sith sometimes worried over the possible code names for key operations and missions, and would with an enigmatic smile write out some seemingly random name and chuckle to herself. The idea floating around Imperial Intelligence was that these names had some significance, possibly vague references to stories of espionage and investigation.

MAGICK WITH A K!!!!

The walking was easy at first. They had quickly used one of the stalks of grass to tie their hair back into a rough braid, keeping it out of their face and relatively off their back. The grass itself didn’t give much resistance, and as far as Riyel could see and hear there was nothing to stop their travel. Not that Riyel had any idea what they were travelling towards. As far as they could see it was just more of this silver grass and the sparse gray trees that grew tall and wide, with canopies that stretched out for many feet in every direction. While it was beautiful to see all of these things reflect the moonlight it did get rather boring after a while. In addition, it didn’t seem as if the moon was moving through the sky at all. While Riyel had been...well they weren’t quite sure where they had been but wherever it was, they hadn’t forgotten that normally the moon was meant to move through the sky, not just sit in place.

“Antares...Do you know where we’re going?” No response, just continued flying. Typical Owl. “Just keep going then? I suppose it’s a plan. Not very original though.” And so they kept walking through this endless landscape. There was no reason to stop, no, but there also seemed very little reason to keep going. If this is what Antares saved me for, I think I may have preferred splatting against the shore. At least that would have been quick. Before the thought was even over, Riyel felt a wing whack them in the back of the head. “OW! Now what was that for?” Antares cocked his head and stared at Riyel as if to say, you know damn well what it’s for. Be grateful that I saved your life and don’t go thinking of wasting it. “Fine, fine, I’m glad I’m alive. Are you happy now?” 

“Hooo” It was a rich, magnificent hoo to be sure. It was also the most annoying sound Riyel could have heard at that moment.

“Of course you are. Come on, let’s keep going.” Even if we have no goal whatsoever. They continued walking for another hour. And then another after that. And then one more. By this point, Riyel’s feet were aching and their legs were crying out for rest. “Well, with literally nothing having changed in the landscape, I’m saying we sit and rest here awhile Antares. I hope you agree.” While he said nothing, Antares came down from flight and perched on Riyel’s shoulder. Or rather, placed on of his rather large talons on Riyel’s shoulder and the other on his upper arm, as it is relatively hard to perch when one is an exceptionally large owl. Riyel made their way over to the nearest of the large gray trees and collapsed underneath it, letting their eyes close and feeling the warm embrace of slumber. 

HISSSSSSS Riyel’s eyes jolted open just as Antares sprang up to one of the branches of the tree. They weren’t sure what the sound was, only that it was not something they had heard in their long walk beforehand. In the barest whisper they could manage they muttered “Antares...what are we dealing with here?” Before Antares could respond, or at least before Riyel could imagine his response, a terrifying black shadow raced towards them, claws outstretched. Riyel let out a cry and ducked to the ground, feeling the beast narrowly pass over them. They turned around to face this assailant and do something brave, maybe fight them off, only to feel all of their intentions fade away in favor of blank fear.

It was a truly horrifying creature, spindly and crooked, the entire thing made of pure shadow. It’s figure was hunched over, with a set of four jointed legs that scurried over the ground and two huge claws that emerged from what Riyel guessed may have been their arms. Oh shit Oh shit Oh shit Oh shit. It let out another hiss before leaping at Riyel again, this time just barely catching the edge of their arm as they rolled out of the way. Where they hit, there was no blood but instead they saw their pitch black skin turn a horrible dark grey, as if it was fading somehow. Probably best not to let that happen again. Above them Riyel heard distressed and angry hooting from Antares, who looked to be fighting a flying form of these strange shadow creatures. As Riyel glanced back again he saw that there was not one but two of these beasts now, both glaring angrily at him. Or at least, they assumed glaring. Hard to say when you can’t see eyes. Well, I suppose I had a nice run for a few hours. Shame it had to end this way though. They braced themselves for the inevitable charge, not even knowing if fists would be able to do anything to these beings. 

“HYAAAAAAAAAAAAH” A loud, gruff battlecry broke through the hissing as a radiant golden light suddenly burst behind the creatures. One skittered away as Riyel saw a gleaming bronze-colored sword slice through the other, bisecting it and leaving it’s shadowy body to wither away and fade. The figure within the golden light turned to face the creature that had started to move away before unleashing a blindingly fast series of sword strokes against it, battering away at it’s shadowy claws as it struggled to defend itself. Suddenly, from out of the golden light came a hard, metal clad boot that knocked the creature off balance, just in time for a diagonal sword slash to cut straight through its body. 

Looking back up at Antares, the owl had been able to take advantage of the distraction provided by this light-clad warrior, and had raked the beast he was fighting with his claws repeatedly, leaving it shredded and dying on a tree branch. The glowing light began to subside and Riyel could start to make out the full appearance of their savior. He was tall, nearly a foot taller than Riyel, and muscular, cutting an imposing figure against the black sky. On his chest he wore a bronze colored breastplate, with matching bracers and greaves, and around his waist a plateskirt of the same material. In his hands he held a mighty greatsword, three feet in length and now, with a better look at it, Riyel could see that it was burnished gold in color, with a large yellow gem set into the hilt. The warriors skin was a dull reddish brown, with jet black hair done in dreads down the back. Most striking though were his eyes, two pools of molten gold that held a great intensity and pain behind them. He looked back at Riyel, sheathing his greatsword and extending a hand to help Riyel up, speaking as he did so with a deep, rough, and powerful voice.