The cackle reached Aria's ears too as they made their way through the grove, the Champion drawing one of her own sabers and gripping it as they came to the barrier.
“I don't know about this…” she muttered warily as Yerbol let go of her to move closer to it. Aria began to edge backwards as droplets of icy rain began to fall from the sky, the duo left perplexed as Renso's contact ceased without warning. The hairs on the back of her neck prickling as another familiar voice spoke urgently:
Get out of there. NOW.
Daddy?
Don't touch the wall. Get out of there.
She couldn't be sure if it had been her imagination that the warning had come in Roan's voice but her instincts told her that they should listen to it regardless of where it came from. Still edging back towards the path that led to the ship, she called out to Yerbol but it was too late. Too late. The chanting rose in tempo, eerie lyrics seeming to permeate right into their skulls as the duo stood side by side, viridian-orange and red-blue blades ignited and held up as the wall crumbled. The tomb beasts stood between them and the wall as the last bits of stone collapsed and the humanoid beings galloped towards them.
She couldn't understand what they were saying, couldn't pinpoint the language used. Could it be some dialect of Huttese from another planet they hadn't travelled to before? All the way out here in Wild Space, though? There would be no time to debate it, however, throwing up lightsabers and dodging sideways to avoid the electrical bursts that were directed towards them. She spun on her heel, trying to press her back to Yerbol’s so the figures couldn't get between them. An unfamiliar howl from behind told her Yerbol had landed a blow, Aria twisting to avoid a solid fist connecting with her ribs and jabbing a blade forward in retaliation. The hand severed at the wrist, it's owner staggering for a moment with a cry of pain before he lunged for her again. She felt a furry flank brush against her leg as the Tuk'ata shot between them, fangs and claws lashing out at the attackers as they tried to drive them back. Chwuq’s jaws closed around the man's shoulder, his crimson eyes still glistening with hatred as the bone crunched loudly.
“YARK! YARK!” Taral’s warning bark came just in time, Aria spinning around to find the female advancing closer to her. Plaque-stained teeth (were….were they slightly pointed, or were her eyes playing tricks on her?) grinned back at her as the blue woman cackled.
“Your Sith-blood will make us strong!” in a tone that was so much like the sing-song Whispers that it made Aria's gut twist in discomfort.
Cut. And. Eat. You. Whole. The chanting still sang through her skull, as she darted right to avoid the woman's arms wrapping around her midsection. A foot or a fist connected with her sternum as she straightened up again, knocking her to her knees, she threw her sabers up to protect herself, the woman hissing as she ducked to avoid the blades and grabbed Aria's wrists, attempting to wrestle the weapons from her grasp. It became a battle of endurance as well as strength as both tried to gain enough strength in their arms to overpower the other and shove her away.
Teeth snapped shut millimeters from her throat, Aria's eyes widening as she tried to lean back to get out of her range in case she tried that again.
Blood roared in her ears as Aria tried to contain her own fear.
Use your fear. She heard Roan's voice remind her again. Use it, but don't let it consume you. It will make you strong.
How?
Distract her, look for a weakness and strike as hard as you can. You and Yerbol need to get away and get out of there. Run if you have to.
She could feel Yerbol's fatigue as he and the tomb beasts tried to fight off the two men, unsure if Roan's spirit really was there but if he was…
Can you help Yerbol?
There was no answer.
“Renso cannot protect you forever!” her attacker sneered. Aria saw her opening.
“Who are you? What do you know about Renso?”
“Xiis! We are Xiis!”
“Xiis? Is...is that your name?”
“You do not remember no, only Renso remembers! Renso hides us away!”
“On Nuncata?”
“Cold...cold, very cold! Must fight! Must survive! Only strong can live!” The blue woman babbled, spit flying from her cracked purple lips. “We are strong now and WE will hunt YOU and we will DEVOUR you!”
Aria's palms were sweating, her arms weighted down lead. She wanted to ask more questions, find out more, but knew she couldn't keep it up. She let go of the hilts of her lightsabers. Prayed to the Force and whatever deity may be watching that she'd be strong enough. They were bedraggled, weaker than them. Tired like she was. Aria slipped past her, spun around and locked her forearm around the woman's neck, the other hand grabbing her under the jaw. If she hadn't been able to tap into the Force and use it to help her, Aria would never have had strength or speed left to get into position and jerk her head back until it cracked loudly out of place and the body went limp.
Her weapons clattered to the floor and rolled a few inches forward. Aria fell back onto her haunches, bile rising in her throat as she caught a glimpse of the crimson eyes still wide open. Still sneering with bloodlust and cruelty.
WE will hunt YOU. We will DEVOUR you. Your Sith-blood will make us strong. The words thrummed hauntingly in her head.
She fumbled to stand up and retrieve her weapons, fighting the urge to dry heave, looked around for her partner to find he had dispatched the two men as well. A muscular body pushed against her, steadying her as the Tuk'ata snuffled at her anxiously.
“Hurt?”
“I don't...I don't think so…” she forced out, meeting Yerbol's blue gaze.
“They were tracking us...hunting us, she said they were ‘hunting’ us...like...”
“Prey.” Chwuq snorted, agitated as she shook out her fur. “We not prey.”
She wanted to ask him if he had heard Roan, too, but was afraid the chanting had made her delirious and that he'd think she was mad too.
"Let's...get outta here, yeah?"
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