(no subject)
[ From here.]
Atton weaved his way through the maze of increasingly small corridors, trailing further downwards into the earth, getting ever narrower and more slippery. The arching, carved passages gave way to jagged tunnels, dripping water down on him.
It didn’t take long for the hooded man, more familiar with the fortress than Atton, to lose him. It didn’t matter, too much. He clearly wanted to be found, because as soon as he’d settled somewhere, he broadcast his position through the Force. Atton altered his direction to move towards it.
He was soon out of the tunnels, into a large cave. Dark, lit only by a few mechanical lamps set around it at various points. The hooded man - or formerly hooded, now - was knelt across a large, glittering lake, facing away from Atton, before a worn and chipped statue of a Kazic wolf. One of its ears was missing.
“He’s not dead, yet.” The man remarked conversationally. “Behind you.”
Atton made a half turn to peer at the figure above the doorway, pinned upside down by spikes in his wrists and ankles, blond hair matted and stuck in clumps by blood. One eye had been gouged out. Leyo was moaning, faintly, writhing just a little bit. He clearly needed medical attention.
The not-hooded man - Wulfric, Atton supposed. He’d seen him referred to by that name before, on Frago IX - rose, biting into an apple as he turned to face Atton.
“You can still save him. Just do as I say.” He murmured gently. “I’ll let him down, I’ll heal him, and I’ll send him on his way.”
Atton forced himself not to stare at Leyo, instead turning to fix his eyes on Wulfric. In the half-light, he looked even more like Atton’s mirror image.
Wulfric’s face twisted into a broad grin as he paced around the lake towards Atton.
“You can let him die, if you want.” Gently. Atton glared at him, hands clenching at his sides. “But if you want him to live, then throw your weapons aside and kneel.”
Atton stood, almost completely still, for several moments. Eventually, reluctantly, he reached down to each of his weapons, removing them and tossing them to one side.
“There. Let him down.” It came out as a low, quiet sigh.
Wulfric shook his head, his grin growing broader and merrier, until it stretched wide across his face, showing rows of yellow teeth.
“Kneel.”
Atton scowled, dropping to one knee reluctantly, keeping his head up to watch Wulfric. Wulfric’s grin morphed to a scowl, as his pace quickened to bring him to Atton’s side, snatching him by a tuft of hair and pulling his head back.
“Don’t look so kriffin’ angry about it. I’m freeing your friend, saving his life. All you have to do is stay there and keep your head down.”
The grip on his hair was released. Atton let his head flop down, staring at the stone floor.
“Last words?” Wulfric flicked on his lightsaber, positioning it above Atton’s neck. Atton just shook his head, mutely. The lightsaber flashed through the air as it was pulled upwards and swung down towards Atton’s neck.
A wave of force spread outwards. The lightsaber flew upwards, spinning about in the air before crashing down to the ground on the other side of the lake. Nearby, Wulfric hit the ground, snarling.
Calling his lightsaber to his hand, he leapt for Atton, swinging it around. Atton weaved out of the way. For a moment, there was a blurred frenzy of red, brown and black, before the lightsaber was flying off once more and lightning was arcing out of Wulfric’s fingertips. They crackled about Atton, flashed blindingly bright, and swung back towards Wulfric as Atton flung out a hand. Wulfric shrieked, tumbling through the air to the far wall.
Atton wasted no time in turning away, dragging out the spikes and slowly bringing Leyo down to rest on the ground, crouching next to him. The wounds started to close, slowly, as Atton held his hands out, blue light spreading from them.
They stopped before they could close. The light shone uselessly over Leyo’s body. Atton wasn’t surprised. He silently bowed his head over the body, brow creasing slightly.
“I could’ve healed him.” Wulfric noted, stumbling over, picking up his lightsaber. “If you’d let me. You can only blame yourself for this.”
Atton didn’t turn around. He rose to his feet, remaining silent, staring down at Leyo’s body.
Wulfric continued, drifting closer.
“You could join me. I mean, if you want to. I’m going to kill Emrys, take his throne, just as soon as he begins his rule. You could be my right hand.” Atton rolled his eyes, quietly. Wulfric reached into his robe, pulling out a chain with a silver wolf’s head at the end. “We’re closer than you - ...”
“Please stop. You’re like a walking, talking cliche.” Atton snapped, raising one hand. From the lake, his lightsaber rose, followed by a blaster, followed by his three vibrodisks. “I don’t care. Really. I don’t care if you’re my long lost brother, some cousin, a clone of me, a guy who’s had complex surgery, a hallucination, a shapeshifter, anything. I’m not bothered.”
His lightsaber span into his hand. Atton turned, igniting it. Wulfric flicked on his own.
Atton weaved his way through the maze of increasingly small corridors, trailing further downwards into the earth, getting ever narrower and more slippery. The arching, carved passages gave way to jagged tunnels, dripping water down on him.
It didn’t take long for the hooded man, more familiar with the fortress than Atton, to lose him. It didn’t matter, too much. He clearly wanted to be found, because as soon as he’d settled somewhere, he broadcast his position through the Force. Atton altered his direction to move towards it.
He was soon out of the tunnels, into a large cave. Dark, lit only by a few mechanical lamps set around it at various points. The hooded man - or formerly hooded, now - was knelt across a large, glittering lake, facing away from Atton, before a worn and chipped statue of a Kazic wolf. One of its ears was missing.
“He’s not dead, yet.” The man remarked conversationally. “Behind you.”
Atton made a half turn to peer at the figure above the doorway, pinned upside down by spikes in his wrists and ankles, blond hair matted and stuck in clumps by blood. One eye had been gouged out. Leyo was moaning, faintly, writhing just a little bit. He clearly needed medical attention.
The not-hooded man - Wulfric, Atton supposed. He’d seen him referred to by that name before, on Frago IX - rose, biting into an apple as he turned to face Atton.
“You can still save him. Just do as I say.” He murmured gently. “I’ll let him down, I’ll heal him, and I’ll send him on his way.”
Atton forced himself not to stare at Leyo, instead turning to fix his eyes on Wulfric. In the half-light, he looked even more like Atton’s mirror image.
Wulfric’s face twisted into a broad grin as he paced around the lake towards Atton.
“You can let him die, if you want.” Gently. Atton glared at him, hands clenching at his sides. “But if you want him to live, then throw your weapons aside and kneel.”
Atton stood, almost completely still, for several moments. Eventually, reluctantly, he reached down to each of his weapons, removing them and tossing them to one side.
“There. Let him down.” It came out as a low, quiet sigh.
Wulfric shook his head, his grin growing broader and merrier, until it stretched wide across his face, showing rows of yellow teeth.
“Kneel.”
Atton scowled, dropping to one knee reluctantly, keeping his head up to watch Wulfric. Wulfric’s grin morphed to a scowl, as his pace quickened to bring him to Atton’s side, snatching him by a tuft of hair and pulling his head back.
“Don’t look so kriffin’ angry about it. I’m freeing your friend, saving his life. All you have to do is stay there and keep your head down.”
The grip on his hair was released. Atton let his head flop down, staring at the stone floor.
“Last words?” Wulfric flicked on his lightsaber, positioning it above Atton’s neck. Atton just shook his head, mutely. The lightsaber flashed through the air as it was pulled upwards and swung down towards Atton’s neck.
A wave of force spread outwards. The lightsaber flew upwards, spinning about in the air before crashing down to the ground on the other side of the lake. Nearby, Wulfric hit the ground, snarling.
Calling his lightsaber to his hand, he leapt for Atton, swinging it around. Atton weaved out of the way. For a moment, there was a blurred frenzy of red, brown and black, before the lightsaber was flying off once more and lightning was arcing out of Wulfric’s fingertips. They crackled about Atton, flashed blindingly bright, and swung back towards Wulfric as Atton flung out a hand. Wulfric shrieked, tumbling through the air to the far wall.
Atton wasted no time in turning away, dragging out the spikes and slowly bringing Leyo down to rest on the ground, crouching next to him. The wounds started to close, slowly, as Atton held his hands out, blue light spreading from them.
They stopped before they could close. The light shone uselessly over Leyo’s body. Atton wasn’t surprised. He silently bowed his head over the body, brow creasing slightly.
“I could’ve healed him.” Wulfric noted, stumbling over, picking up his lightsaber. “If you’d let me. You can only blame yourself for this.”
Atton didn’t turn around. He rose to his feet, remaining silent, staring down at Leyo’s body.
Wulfric continued, drifting closer.
“You could join me. I mean, if you want to. I’m going to kill Emrys, take his throne, just as soon as he begins his rule. You could be my right hand.” Atton rolled his eyes, quietly. Wulfric reached into his robe, pulling out a chain with a silver wolf’s head at the end. “We’re closer than you - ...”
“Please stop. You’re like a walking, talking cliche.” Atton snapped, raising one hand. From the lake, his lightsaber rose, followed by a blaster, followed by his three vibrodisks. “I don’t care. Really. I don’t care if you’re my long lost brother, some cousin, a clone of me, a guy who’s had complex surgery, a hallucination, a shapeshifter, anything. I’m not bothered.”
His lightsaber span into his hand. Atton turned, igniting it. Wulfric flicked on his own.