The sun shone down on the trio with a deep red hue. The unfamiliar sunlight burned slightly on Willow's skin, adding to her unease. Dazed, Willow realized that the wanderer was no longer where she and Cal had seen him moments ago. A sudden wave of uneasiness washed over her stomach. She glanced around. Maybe the wanderer had moved a few ravines closer to the tomb?

Willow looked to Cal, clueless. The young Jedi furrowed his brows in confusion as well.
"No sign of that old man?"

The girl shrugged.
"Maybe he's already wandered off," she reminded him of what he had said earlier.

Cal seemed to consider the possibility briefly.
"Either that, or... I wonder if the Nightbrothers got him?"

Cal's droid companion beeped in response. Willow had to admit, that was also a plausible explanation. Ultimately, they might never figure out the truth. The wanderer was gone, and that was just as well. There was something about him that made Willow feel uncomfortable almost immediately. But she had to admit, that unease had been with her ever since they arrived on Dathomir, regardless of the strange man.

None of them commented further, and they continued in silence. They crossed the remaining ravines and soon arrived at the final ledge where the tomb was located.
The surrounding rock had also suffered. Every column and structure was nearly destroyed. The massacre must have been horrific, Willow thought. Given the state of the environment, it was a wonder that the last Nightsister had survived. Willow immediately felt sympathy for her. The killing of her Sisters must have been traumatizing. It was no surprise that the Nightsister was trying to chase away the unwanted visitors by any means necessary. Now that Willow thought about it, she was surprised the wanderer didn't seem to be a mortal enemy of the Nightsister.

The team moved closer to their desired destination. They ascended the stone steps, whose broken stairs led through two narrow archways. The arches were not destroyed, but they were heavily worn. They were adorned with intricate carvings, which Willow found quite pretty. These archways were one of the few things she actually enjoyed looking at on Dathomir without feeling sick.

After they had passed the first set of stairs, Willow stopped. Cal noticed this and also came to a halt. From their current position, she could see the entrance to the tomb much better. On either side of the entrance stood a statue. The majestic statues were seated, their faces turned forward. The chiseled faces were slender and sharp, each adorned with horns on their heads that curved almost into a circle. The sight was dystopically picturesque and piqued Willow's curiosity.

Cal was also impressed.
"This must be the tomb's entry," he voiced her thoughts.

"It's strangely beautiful. Come on, Kestis! Let's go inside," Willow said, playfully punching his shoulder before marching ahead. She suddenly was eager to see what the inside looked like. She just had to go in - she would explode if she didn't.

She had already taken a few steps forward when she turned back. Cal hadn't moved an inch. Instead, he was simply watching her. Willow wasn't sure why, but she thought she saw a spark in Cal's eyes. If there was one, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Willow tilted her head slightly before quickly running back to him. When she reached Cal, she hooked her arm through his and dragged him towards the tomb. He didn't protest, which Willow took as a good sign. As they climbed the next set of broken stairs, Willow glanced up at Cal's attractive face. Her eyes met those pretty green ones of Cal's, and a small smile crossed the young witch's lips.

When they reached the tomb's entrance, Willow released Cal's arm. The entrance was so narrow they couldn't walk through side by side. So, she let Cal go first, then followed him inside. Willow had just pulled her second leg into the tomb when there was a loud thud behind her. Startled, she turned around. The entrance door had closed on its own. Unfazed, the girl shrugged - this trick was common in Hogwarts. Cal, who had also been startled at first, now refocused on his primary goal.

Willow took a moment to look around. The ancient ruins were littered with broken stone pieces. Rubble was scattered across the floor, along with numerous ancient vases. She snorted - there were way too many vases in and around the castle too. Then her gaze moved forward. Straight ahead was a gold-shimmering door, richly decorated. The door had an ancient quality that Willow found appealing. As outside, statues were seated on either side of the door. These were much smaller, but they perfectly mirrored the statues outside.

At that moment, she heard BD-1 chirping. She lifted her head in the direction of the red-haired Jedi and saw the small droid stomping his tiny feet on Cal's back. The two had already walked a few steps ahead, and Cal was standing between the two statues. Willow watched as Cal glanced over his shoulder at the droid, then turned his head towards the statue on his right.
"Let's see", he said.

He approached it, and Willow caught up with them.
In front of the statue, BD-1 ran his scanner, and the voice of Master Eno Cordova echoed through the empty building.
"My friend, we've reached the Tomb of Kujet in search of an Astrium."

Cal said nothing further. Willow wasn't sure, but she had a feeling something was bothering him. He had been more withdrawn since their encounter with the stranger than usual. She would have loved to be there for him. But for that to happen, he would have to open up to her, and she understood if he couldn't. Willow and Cal hadn't known each other long, and it was only because of the many adventures they had shared that they had gotten used to each other so quickly.

Feeling a bit down, she followed her friend, who had crossed the last small set of stairs and stepped closer to the golden door. If Willow's assumption was right, Cal had much better control over his emotions than she did. She admired how determined he was and how he didn't let anything show. Whether that was the right way to handle things was debatable.

Willow watched as Cal placed his hand on the door in front of him and closed his eyes in concentration. His brow furrowed slightly, and his red, thick hair fell into his handsome face. Once again, her gaze fell on his scars. She couldn't say why, but she thought they suited him.

Then he opened his eyes and took a step back from the door.
"Whatever that was... it's gone."

Willow frowned. She didn't know much about the Force, but she was sure that was a bit strange. Cal didn't elaborate. Instead, he turned on his heel and stopped in front of the stairs. Willow watched him, unsure of what he was planning. Cal glanced at her over his shoulder and said, "Willow, feel free to look around a bit more before we leave. I need a moment to meditate."

The student nodded and added a quick,
"Yeah, no problem."

She walked down the stairs beside him and glanced at him again.
Cal sank to his knees, his back straight and his head slightly bowed. BD-1 settled beside him on the ground. Cal kept his eyes closed, and within seconds, he seemed to be somewhere else entirely. Willow was a bit overwhelmed - she hadn't known he meditated. He hadn't done it before, at least not when she was around.

Finally, she shrugged and turned away. She would take a closer look at some of the niches. Since it was quite dark there due to the cast shadows, Willow drew her wand. She murmured Lumos!, and with her light source, she approached the niches. There, carved into the stone, were small runes. She had to admit, she was slowly beginning to understand Eno Cordova's fascination. The Zeffo must have been a group of interesting people with much more influence than she had thought. Willow didn't fully understand everything that went on in this galaxy - the differences compared to her home were just too vast - but she would claim to have the essential basic knowledge. Still, she would love to understand it all better. If only she had been there herself, she wouldn't have to question everything. She would be able to stand behind what the Crew were fighting for without any doubts.

Suddenly, Willow felt a pang of guilt. She was actually here for a completely different reason. She was only here because of Anne! But Willow had pushed that so far back that the thought now felt strangely unnatural. She had almost entirely abandoned her original attempt to help Sebastian's sister and had chosen to stay with the Mantis crew instead. The young Gryffindor had never intended to get involved in the crew's problems, and yet here she was in Kujets' tomb, accompanying Cal. She had to admit, the quick-witted boy had impressed her more in the few days they had known each other than she wanted to accept. That was probably not his intention; Willow was just a hopeless case. And now she was caught between two worlds. She would definitely stay with the crew until they found the holocron. But what would she do after? Continue searching and collecting, but alone this time? Or should she return to Hogwarts as soon as possible? The thought of leaving Cal and the Crew behind pained Willow a little. The members had quietly found their way into her heart, and here, Willow didn't have to fear a mortal enemy because of her unique magic. But back home, in Hogwarts, all her friends were waiting. They had a plan, and Willow couldn't just abandon them. On the other hand, her school education would only last another six months, and she had no idea what she wanted to do for a career. Should she become an Auror? Her magic would certainly be useful for that. Or perhaps a Curse Breaker? Or maybe a profession where she'd take care of magical creatures? Possibly even a professor?

All these swirling thoughts began to give her a headache. Willow glanced over at Cal - he still seemed to be meditating, though he didn't look entirely happy and calm while doing so. She didn't question it further. Instead, she sat down on the sandy ground and rummaged through her leather bag. It was high time for the next diary entry. She pulled out a fresh roll of parchment and began writing with her quill. Her hand raced across the paper, jotting down thoughts at a rapid pace. Just as she finished, she heard Cal breathing heavily and quickly. She looked up to check on him and hurriedly stuffed her writing materials back into her bag. She got up and carefully approached him. His eyebrows were furrowed so tightly that a small crease formed between them.

She tried to wake him from his meditation.
"Cal?" she asked.

The redhead didn't respond. He was gripping his lightsaber tightly in his hand, and his breathing was growing more rapid. He mumbled to himself, but Willow couldn't understand a word. Determined, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him firmly. Even that didn't seem to wake him. He stood up, his eyes still tightly shut, holding his weapon out in front of him.

The young student watched as Cal's grip on the weapon tightened even more. She could hear it crackling, and sparks flew from between his fingers. Panicking, Willow grabbed his hands, trying to loosen the iron grip - how on earth could she bring him back to the present?
"Cal!" she shouted. "Cal, damn it! Wake up!"

Out of nowhere, a heart-wrenching "No!" escaped his throat before he blinked several times. His eyes were wide with panic, staring upward. Willow immediately let go of his tight grip and instinctively placed her hands up on his warm cheeks. Cal's frantic gaze found hers, and his green eyes immediately focused on her.
"Hey, there you are," she said softly, a sad expression on her face. "Cal, your lightsaber... I- I tried to wake you."

His gaze flicked down to his hands. Willow gave him some space; he seemed agitated. Cal turned his weapon in his hands, and Willow noticed that it was completely destroyed.
"Cal... are you okay?"

Her question was sincere; she was worried about her friend. But he just nodded and didn't say a word.
In silence, he walked around her and quickly headed back outside. Before Cal reached the entrance, Willow caught up with him. However, she didn't dare get too close. It seemed like he wanted to be alone right now, and she understood that.

Outside, Willow shielded her eyes with a hand. The glaring red sunlight blinded her after her eyes had just adjusted to the darkness of the tomb. Cal had already reached the bottom step while Willow still stood at the entrance. He seemed like he was fleeing. Willow hurried after him, but since he was much taller than she was, he walked faster. She was starting to get fed up. She certainly didn't want to wander around alone, so Cal needed to slow down a bit.
"Cal, wait!" she called as she stumbled after him.

But the boy didn't hear her. Had she done something to him? Did he hate her? Or was there some other reason for his sudden mood shift? In her haste, she didn't watch her step and was quickly punished for her carelessness. Her boot caught on an uneven stone, and she stumbled. She couldn't keep her balance and began to fall, but then she felt a strong hand catch her just in time. Strangely, an unpleasant chill spread across her skin at the touch. Willow was steadied back on her feet before she looked up into the face of a stranger. But he didn't pay her any attention; his gaze was fixed on Cal. Cal must have turned around when he heard Willow's slightly panicked screech.

Willow followed the stranger's gaze, who was still holding her shoulder firmly. Cal looked unhappy, maybe even a little angry, as his eyes landed on the stranger's hand. Quickly, Willow stepped away from the stranger and bridged the gap to Cal. She stood right next to him, trying with all her might to ignore the uncomfortable feeling the stranger had left on her skin.

The stranger laughed in a gravelly voice.
"Here on Dathomir, you should take better care of your little girlfriend."

Willow suddenly felt sick with anger. It wasn't Cal's job to keep an eye on her. She was old enough and could take care of herself just fine. She was more than ready to give the stranger a piece of her mind, but he just kept talking.

"Things not go as planned?" he asked Cal. "You can't say I didn't warn you."

Cal shook his head once in irritation, then turned around, grabbed Willow's hand, and dragged her in the direction of the Mantis.
"Leave us alone," he said to the stranger as he continued walking. Willow didn't protest - she would also much rather be back on the ship.

But the stranger had other plans.
"Leave you? Alone? Lost and defenseless in this... dangerous place? Never."

Uncertain, Willow shot Cal a glance. His jaw was working, and she could see that he was running out of patience. He suddenly stopped, let go of her hand, and turned around irritably to face the stranger.
"Okay, enough of this," he said, stepping toward the man. "Who are you, really?"

The stranger didn't react for a second. Then he grabbed his tattered robe and let it fall to the ground. His upper body was uncovered. Several scars ran across his chest. One of them was a large circle, directly in the center. These scars were still a deep red, which made Willow think they couldn't be that old. He wore a belt around his waist, to which small horns were attached. The stranger seemed proud as he spread his arms wide.
"Taron Malicos," he said, never taking his eyes off Cal. "Former Jedi... like yourself. We have much in common."

"I doubt that," Cal replied. Willow couldn't see his face, but his voice was filled with nothing but pure hatred.

"Oh? We both survived the purge," Malicos countered.

Silence fell. It seemed he had captured Cal's attention.

Malicos continued speaking.
"My troops betrayed me. I was forced to strike them down, and I escaped. To this... desolate place. The darkness here - it almost took me. But I conquered it."

"You're the one the Nightbrothers follow," Cal realized. Willow raised her eyebrows in surprise. That was a brilliant deduction from Cal; she hadn't expected it.

"Yes," Malicos grinned smugly. Willow looked back at the belt Malicos wore. Nausea returned with a vengeance when she realized that those were the horns that grew on the heads of the Nightbrothers.

"Oh. Well, these savages," Malicos continued, "they only respect strength. And as we both know the Force is a most powerful ally."

"No," Cal disagreed. "No, you use the Force to seize power. That's everything the Jedi stood against-"

"These are dark times," Malicos interrupted Cal angrily. "They will consume us if we do not stand... with each other."

A brief moment of silence followed.
"I don't need your help," Cal simply said.

"That broken lightsaber," Malicos pointed to the weapon in Cal's hands, "tells a different tale. You saw something in there, didn't you? Something terrible."

Willow eyed Cal thoughtfully. It must have happened during his meditation. So it wasn't her fault that he was upset. Whether Malicos was right, Cal didn't show.

"There are many such places here on Dathomir. Join my family. And I can teach you how to control its power."

Once again, silence hung over them. Willow was tense. Cal couldn't let himself be persuaded. Had he not noticed what Malicos was radiating - he couldn't ignore that. The tension was palpable. Willow was on the verge of intervening when a female voice sounded behind them.
"Join my family?"

At the top of a stone pillar, thick green mist began to form. A moment later, it cleared, and the Nightsister appeared.
"And I will teach you to control the power? Familiar words, Malicos," she continued, and Willow was almost glad to see her.

"Sister Merrin," Malicos responded in a warning tone. "You overstep your bounds."

"For years, you've said the Jedi orchestrated the massacre that killed my sisters. Yet here one stands," Merrin said, and Cal took a surprised step closer to her, casting a skeptical look at Malicos. "And you seek only to bring him into your family?"

"You were told to deal with it. Clearly you lack the power, little witch!"
Malicos made it sound like an insult, and Willow couldn't help but feel offended. She shot an indignant look back at Merrin, who was already eyeing her. Then Merrin's gaze returned to Malicos.

"Power," Merrin repeated dismissively, looking at a stone-like lump in her hand.

"You are mad, Malicos," she said matter-of-factly. "Dathomir has unmade you. And my misplaced loyalty has allowed you to lead the Nightbrothers astray. Unlike the Jedi, the Nightsisters of Dathomir do not turn on their kind. Our bond is eternal," a strange echo accompanied her last words.

"Your sisters are dead!" Malicos roared.
Willow felt he was overly angry. For someone who claimed to have once been a Jedi, Malicos was acting far too emotionally.

"Yes. Their graves are all around you," Merrin said, unimpressed.

Willow looked up and indeed saw several of those strange plant sacs hanging around them. Uh oh. As she lowered her gaze, her eyes met Cal's. He nodded at her and quietly said, "Time to go."

The team was about to move when the ground beneath them began to tremble. Willow quickly glanced back at the pillar where the Nightsister stood. Merrin raised the hand holding the lump and began to chant a spell. Slowly, green mist crept around her, enveloping her. Smoke began to pour from her eye sockets and mouth, and only then did Willow notice a giant statue behind Merrin, also emitting smoke from similar openings. The plant sacs around them were also shrouded in the mist.

Behind her, Willow heard Malicos laughing maniacally.
"Foolish girl! This power is beyond your control!"

Merrin shot Malicos a venomous look.
"You both shall learn," she began, her eyes fixed on Cal and Malicos as the smoke receded from her face, "when you face one Nightsister of Dathomir, you face us all!"

As if on cue, the plant sacs everywhere burst open, and the dead bodies of the Nightsisters tumbled to the ground. The entire planet was now overrun with the undead. Willow recoiled in shock and hurried back to Cal's side. Slowly, the half-decayed corpses rose, hissing and snarling. They seemed a bit disoriented, spinning in circles. Willow suddenly felt a sharp pang of nausea.

"Run!" she heard Malicos shout.

"Oh no," Cal whispered. Willow remembered his broken weapon. There was no way they could escape on foot, and her wand wouldn't be much help against that many zombies.

Without hesitation, Willow grabbed her broomstick and mounted it. She didn't need to say anything to Cal, who immediately positioned himself behind her. Just like before, the student pushed off the ground in a flash and flew directly toward the ship. Merrin was nowhere to be seen - whether that was good or bad, Willow couldn't tell.

Behind her, Cal frantically contacted the crew.
"Cere! Cere, tell Greez to get the Mantis running!"

"What's happening?!" Willow heard the panicked voice of the former Jedi in her ear.

"The Nightsister! She raised the dead! They're after us!"

"Whoa, whoa! And you're leading them here?!" Greez's voice squeaked unnaturally high.

"Captain! Prepare for takeoff," was all Cere said before the communication ended.

Willow sped through Dathomir's mountains on her broom. Her heart pounded in her chest, but flying was the only thing she focused on. She had no choice but to perform a few dangerous maneuvers. Cal had wisely clung to her, ensuring he wouldn't fall off the broom.

BD-1 chirped excitedly and let out a short scream as Willow expertly dove into the depths. The Mantis was now in sight, and Willow could see the ramp already lowering. She approached the ground and slowed down, allowing Cal to jump off. On the ledge where the ship was parked, about three zombies were standing. Cal used the Force to hurl them off the cliff as Willow dismounted her broom. Without wasting another moment, the two youths rushed into the Mantis, which took off mere seconds later.
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3.830Words,

and here we go with a longer chapter! we're now officially past halfway through the story of Jedi: Fallen Order. i can't believe how fast the time went by!

what did u think of this chapter?

see u at the next one
~Alice