Fate's Delusions: Dream Hunters

[Delirion]

Hesitating still, she stood before the closed doors of his study, not knowing what would await her behind them.

Only moments earlier, she had been infuriated by his cold manner, enraged by something she had interpreted as a lack of trust, fearing that he might think her a traitor, yet now... her feelings and thoughts were fluctuating, racing through her mind at a furious pace, switching and swirling, changing directions - until she was not even sure herself of the reason for it all.

Why had she left?

Had it been solely to find a way to rid herself of Adalric's spirit poisoning her mind? It had been a bitter fight both she and Jeseth had fought against him, and she had not been herself for long after, yet... had that been the only reason? Or even any reason?

No.

It had been his death that she had not been able to face. His death, and then his return in spirit. After all they had shared, it had felt as if a part of herself had died with him when he had died. And when he had come back to her in spirit... it had been much worse. To see him again, and know that he would never be as he once was, that he would never be alive, his spirit only a mocking form of himself, how could she have gone on? To see him like that, slowly vanishing from under her eyes again, as if he died yet again... no, she had to flee, had to leave, had to escape rather than watch him like that.

And now he was back. She did not know how, but he was back. Alive. And how that made her feel...

Hurt. Sad. Relieved. Angry. And so lost.

She closed her eyes, shut the pain out, and breathed out slowly. Her arms at her sides, she clasped and unclasped her fists, one hand still wrapped around the saber she had picked up. Taking a deep breath again, she finally brought up her hand and knocked on his door.

http://delirion.clanpages.com/del/Del_green.jpg

[Jeseth Cloak]

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Jeseth's door began to open slowly, but nothing came to Delirion's eyes. All she could perceive within the confines of his study was an undying blackness, and then one single candle which had been rested sloppily atop his night table, just besides the familiar red couch. Several syringes lay strewn about the visible reach of the melting white candle, their interiors coated in small traces of a slightly glowing green liquid: perhaps it was bacta.

Her field of view suddenly became obscured and blocked off, Jeseth's vague figure intercepting her train of thought. It was a collision, perhaps even for both of them. His extraordinarily pale hand slipped outside from the small crack in the door way and grabbed on to her wrist, his fingers locking around her still hot and rain covered skin. Jeseth's touch was extremely cold and dry, almost lifeless by comparison.

"Nya..."

He pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her. For several moments, she couldn't see anything as he embraced her, refusing to let her go. His hold now seemed so weakened, as if she were merely being rested upon by a few dying branches - something which was quite uncommon on Vjun.

"...you came back..."

With those last words, she felt Jeseth's mind slip away, and he hit the floor with a slight thud. Not all the bacta in the world could have healed the damage which he inflicted upon himself during the passing storm; now, only time would tell if he would awaken to see its end.

[Delirion]

The saber slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground with a loud clattering noise, as his arms enveloped her. He seemed so frail now, not at all what she had witnessed out there, in his fight with Rama and the other Sith.

Had she misread his intentions so much that she would feel surprise at his reaction now? Foolish, she felt now - foolish for her mistaken belief that he would so lightly cast her from his own thoughts.

Yet what had happened to him? What had she missed? He was not who he had once been - the man who held her close now, did not feel the same as the Jeseth that had once before held her like this. What horrors had he witnessed, and gone through, to have become what he now was? And at the back of her mind, she held the dreadful suspicion that her own absence had caused some of it, had turned him into this.

When he finally whispered to her, it was as if her heart would stop. So lifeless, so hurt did his voice sound now, nothing like the self-assured and commanding tone he had assumed out there on the battlefield.

Yet before she could find the courage to reply, he seemed to slip from her, fall out of her grasp before she could even pull him closer. Horrified, she stared down at his limp body as he lay there on the ground at her feet, unmoving.

As she tried to quest out with her thoughts, she could feel nothing. Nothing. It was as if his mind had been drained of all thought. Was this was she had come back for? Terrified, pained, she kneeled down beside him, and gently pulled him over so she could look at his face.

With a gasp, she stared down at the scar running across his face. What had happened to him? Was this another reminder that he had once been dead?

She cast all thought of that aside, however - now was not the time to waste on things like that. She had to help him.

But how?

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A thumping step behind Delirion caused her attention to waver away from the fallen Jeseth. ~ Deception!~ Hob's roaring mental voice flooded into the room. ~ If ye've any bacta, I could use a drop or two- Delirion.~

The dwarf paused in the shadowy light of the doorway, one of his hands in the midst of picking splinters from his beard. His eyes flickered between where Jeseth lay on the floor and where Delirion sat on her knees.

The skin around Hob's eyes tightened. ~ What happened here?~

[Delirion]

Delirion's head snapped up and around at the sound of footsteps behind her. She did not need to cast out with her senses to know who it was - Hob was shouting loud enough for her mind to feel numbed.

As he appeared in the doorframe behind her, she looked at him with imploring eyes.

I came in time only to witness him falling into this comatose state...

Her fear and anxiety for the man she had thought dead but who had suddenly returned to her as if by a miracle, only to be swept away again by his own failing health - it now made her tremble with worry. She knew there had to be something she could do, yet it was as if her mind was swept clean of reason now. All that mattered was the feeling of his skin beneath her fingers now, the miracle that he was again alive.

Hob - I need to know: how did he return? And why is it that you failed to inform me about this upon my arrival?... yet, that is of no concern now - we have to find a way to help him.

She wasn't going to lose him again. Not now, not this time, not while there was anything wihtin her powers to help him.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob regarded her darkly for a moment. The shadows across his face deepened as the old dwarf bent his head to get a better look at the fallen Jeseth, allowing only the hair on his skin to be visible as dark spikes that intruded in the light. A questioning finger poked and prodded at Jeseth's face before turning to Delirion. His eyes gleamed in the darkness.

~ There is naught ye can do t' help. ~

Hob returned to staring at Jeseth. ~ 'tis true the Shining Darkness can reduce injury almost to the point of healing it, but at a cost. Hob has neither the skill, nor the power reserved to aid Deception~

A small smile crossed the dwarf's lips. ~ Ye would do better t' ask the Jedi for help,~ he projected, cackling mentally at his own joke.

[Delirion]

An odd glint appeared in her eyes as she straightened up to look Hob into the eye.

Jedi, you say? One of them... they have healers powerful enough to help Jeseth?

She looked down again at him, watched for a few seconds the slow rise and fall of his chest - the only indication that he was still alive. Whenever she tried to pierce his mind again with her senses, she got niothing - not a single spark of life, of thought. It scared her more than anything else about him.

To think that it was mere minutes ago that he had stood up there in the court, and fought against a Sith Master, defended himself and the others of the Black Hand with all of his strength, all of his energy, all of--

"ENERGY!"

She shouted at Hob, suddenly taken by her own idea. Maybe there was a way...

Hob, the powerand skill you have not, but the knowledge you have certainly. Power and skill are mine, yet I lack the knowledge of how I must accomplish this. We will work together to make Jeseth stronger for now, and then I shall go find this Jedi.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's head turned upwards to look at her. ~ Aye lass, that we could.~

The desperation rolled off her in waves and Hob's wizened face stared up at her. Opportunity knocked. ~ And what will ye give me if I bend my efforts to the task?~

[Delirion]

She looked at the Goblin, and anger began to rise inside her mind. In the face of a possible solution to the immediate problem, she was more confident, less fearful for Jeseth's life.

What will I give you? Nothing more than thou dost deserve, Hob.

She saw his greedy eyes lighten up at that, and decided to curb his spirits a little.

What thou dost deserve, however, will be valued by thine effort. But leave this tedious haggling now - we have a life to save. And a life, as I might point out, which you should pay respect to - for was it not Jeseth who helped you on your way to true enlightenment?

She got up on her feet and looked down on both Jeseth and the goblin.

"Use your skills to lift him onto the couch - he is no good to us on the ground."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Jeseth? When had Jeseth ever led Hob to enlightenment?

No matter.

~ Remember, lass, that Hob is the only one in position to help,~ Hob jabbed a finger at her. ~ And if ye deny Hob a proper reward, ye will regret it.~

The Force swirled around Hob, then stretched over and engulfed Jeseth as well. The Dark Jedi's limp body lifted into the air and hovered over to the couch, where it gently draped itself over the plush cushions.

~ Summon yer energy, lass,~ Hob instructed, already working on a plan. He'd never tried to exercise his power of injury reduction on someone else. It had always been a combination of mind control and a healing trance. But Hob was confident he could devise a strategy that would work. ~ And project it somewhere Hob can draw on it.~

[Delirion]

Her dark eyes' stare bore into the Goblin's back as he turned to concentrate on lifting Jeseth's limp body onto the couch. Hob was a crafty one, she knew, and he seemed to be under the impression that he should be payed back for his efforts here. And there was something else, but she could not discern what he was plotting - not now, not if she needed to concentrate on the most important thing now.

She walked after him, and watched Jeseth's body settle down. Then she knelt down beside the couch on the ground, and took Jeseth's hands into hers. What Hob told her to do did not need touch, but she needed it - needed to feel that Jeseth was still alive, was still with her.

Then she concentrated inward, found the cells in her body where the last remains of energy was stored. She would gladly give up her own strength to revive him, yet she knew that she needed to save herself as much as Jeseth - a plan was developing in her mind, and for it, she would need all the strength she could find. But that was for later.

Falling deeper within herself, she concentrated on every cell in her body, until she could feel and sense the life in each, in herself. In her mind, she visualizes a box, a container, floating in the air inches over Jeseth's body. It was there that she willed the energy to fall, willed it to flow into it, through her, to contain itself within the box. Weaker, she could feel herself growing, with each second that she suceeded. She could feel the energy, the strength, leaving her own body; her own body growing weaker and weary, her head throbbing painfully with all the agony she had felt during the fight earlier.

She had not done this before, had never tried to intentionally force the energy out of herself to a certain point, and deep down in her heart, she feared to open her eyes and see that she had accomplished nothing, that she had bled off the energy Jeseth needed into the air. Yet, even if she had, maybe that was all Hob needed.

Finally, when she could not stand the weakening any longer, and felt as if she would faint from weariness and pain, she opened her eyes, and took in the sphere of pure energy resting over Jeseth's chest.

It is done. Proceed, brother, and do not hesitate one moment.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob reached out and took hold of the sphere with one huge, hairy hand. It felt odd- a swirling mix of color and texture that smelled of Delirion. It was as though she had projected, not just the lives of her own body's cells, but their entire life experiences as well.

The hand holding the orb began to interact with it. Hob pushed it down towards Jeseth's fragile body, twisting and shaping the energy into something a male Dark Jedi would be able to sustain themselves with. It touched Jeseth and a deep purple glow spread across the both of them. The glow pulsated, as though tuning itself to a heartbeat.

And then the glow was gone.

Hob abruptly sat on the floor. The wrenching task of working with Delirion's life energy had tired him, and though he had no serious injuries, he would now need to recover nonetheless.

The dwarf stretched his mental senses out towards Jeseth and could see the black flame contained within his body was flickering greedily, waiting for more fuel to be brought.

Jeseth would survive for a while yet.

~ It is done,~ he said tiredly. ~ Take Jeseth to be healed and think no more of Hob's reward until the task is finished.~

[Delirion]

Wearily, she lifted her head after watching the goblin attend to Jeseth. She had a plan, yet she could not carry it out on her own. It would need some careful planning, and a bit of sly maneuvering...

I need your assistance once more, my brother. I wish to travel, and take with me one of my brothers - yet I fear I have been away too long to know them all. Who is a trustworthy companion I could take with me?

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob bared his teeth at her- not a pretty sight. ~ Bah. Take Seth Darkserpent and go. Hob shall say naught more.~

[Delirion]

You need not speak no more - yet point me the direction where I can find this Seth Darkserpent, before you leave.

She let her eyes rest on Jeseth's still body. A subtle change seemed to have overcome him as he was lying there; Delirion was not sure what the energy she had given him would do for him, yet she hoped. Hoped that it would be enough until her return.

Her eyes moved back to Hob; she stared at him with a searching look in them.

I leave Jeseth here entrusted in your care, until I return. If any harm will come to him during my absence, I shall know where to cast the blame.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's eyes met Delirion's, unflinching in their determination. ~ I am not the Serpent's keeper. Call for him yourself from the foyer- he will likely come.~

The dwarf's lips peeled back in their traditional gap-toothed grin. ~ As for Deception, I have a special reason to see that he remains alive. Now, be off, sister. Jeseth's time shrinks.~

[Delirion]

Her eyes' stare turned cold as she looked at him, but his insolence was not what she wished to fight now. There was no time.

Good.

She bent down over Jeseth, and touched his cheeks with her hands. Finally, she kissed his lips - as if hoping that he would regain his senses at the touch, but he remained as he had been.

With a heart filled with sorrow, she got up, and slowly left the room behind.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth could feel something in him, a single ray of light through the darkness, and then heard a voice familiar to him... but it was all gone in a matter of seconds. Somewhere else, his mind lay dormant, the hatreds and regrets within him gnawing at his soul.

[Delirion]

To be continued in Dream Hunters II (http://pub58.ezboard.com/fcandelabraofmalicefrm3.showMessage?topicID=21.top ic)