Dicing with Darkness

Chapter 20 - Jezebel

Flashing visions of the fight previously fought convolute in Leo's head with anxiety stirring his stomach inside out as sweat drips down his face. The reveal of seeing Riyo Chuchi still alive haunts him coupled with the vision of a baby Pantoran laying in a cradle crying, seemingly begging for something. The memory of him zapping her with Force lightning becomes difficult to relive abruptly awakening him into the serene soothing morning sun.

"Riyo!" He yells with a voice crack resinating the scream.

Leo looks around the room franticly seeing no damage from the encounter last night. The earthquakes in his eyes start too calm, he relaxes himself with a deep breath. Eva runs into the room at the sudden sound of his voice, almost tackling him into her embrace, kissing him with deep passion.

"I thought you were never going to wake up," She weeps, releasing herself from the lip lock.

Leo places his right hand on her face, feeling her tremble in relief. "I always do," He replies with a whispery tone, giving her a reassuring smile.

"That women, she's awake and won't give in to any of Nelani's interrogation," Eva speaks with a weak tone, pausing in fear before continuing. "And she's requested you."

Leo's eyes widen feeing mixed emotions starting to swelter making his internal organs churn with anxiety, with him demanding desperately for Eva to show him where the Leader is. She hesitantly pauses for a moment at the strange mood swing and the change in tone, until Leo snaps her back into focus and reiterates himself with an impatient tone.

Eva apologises, sceptical about his behaviour, she reluctantly guides him over to the eighth room residing on the right side of the temple. Upon entering the door closes. The rooms retched smells attack the insides of his nostrils hoping to make his brain melt from the neglected state the room has been left in for centuries.

Eva stays outside the room in fright from the capabilities of the Leader and to ponder her forbidden lover's sudden mood swing. The Leader is restrained to a large duracrete pillar in the centre of the room with Nelani jolting her with force lighting whenever she nudges at the rope. Leo walks in as she delivers another bolt of lightning.

"Nelani, that's enough!" He warns with a firm domineer, wanting to keep the Leader alive. "What has she been doing?"

"Nothing much. I tried to get some info, but the only thing she kept saying was 'I need to see Leo'," Nelani feels the tension between them from last night's argument.

Nelani changes her expression to concerned, looking away for a slight second before asking, "Are you okay?" with a soft tone.

Leo looks to Nelani with a I'm-sorry face, "Yeah, are you?"

"I will be, in time." Nelani notices the yellow in his eyes, however, without a word she teleports away avoiding another confrontation.

"How cute," The Leader mocks, laughing with a giant smirk on her face.

"Do you know me?!" Leo demands, hoping to avoid the Leader seeing him as vulnerable.

"I know of you and all that my origin knows of you as well." The Leader answers, taking her time to analyse his rise in anxiety and anger. "You seem very on edge; do I remind you of someone?"

The mixed feelings within Leo begin to swelter more rapidly from The Leader's comment.

"That's because you look exactly like..." He lets the sentence slide trying to control his temper with the glowing yellow in his eyes shining brighter from the confronting task before him. Having little experience interrogating dead mentors he closes his eyes, taking a breath, in and out slowly and surely, but slowly soothing the storm within him, however, not containing it.