Blood Trial: A Famfic Novel

Chapter One: The Zhul Stalker's Lair

Sith Apprentice Kal'zun Shrask stood on the edge of a high cliff, taking in the crimson, rocky landscape of Korriban, the Sith homeworld. The dust that swirled in gusts around him bounced off his face mask. He could see a cave in the valley the cliff overlooked, with bones strewn about its entrance. In there, Kal'zun believed, was his target. A scaly, serpentine beast, the Zhul Stalker roamed the deepest caverns of Korriban, and sometimes burst out of the ground and into the Sith training areas, snatching up an acolyte or two before disappearing. Kal'zun had searched for a week before finding the entrance to its cave. He paused to gather his energy, then leapt off the cliff and, using the Force to slow his fall, landed on the rocky ground of the valley. Lightsaber in hand, he cautiously approached the cave. It was tall and narrow, like someone had split the valley wall with a giant lightsaber. Kal'zun ignited his saber and entered the cave, shaving off chunks of rock wherever the walls were too narrow for him to pass through. After a while, the tunnel grew wider, and every sound seemed to echo eerily. Kal'zun thought he heard a hiss, but from which direction he was unsure. He trudged on through the cave, his only light the red glow of his lightsaber.
It seemed like hours after he entered the cave that he found the beast's lair. The hissing was clear now, and coming from directly in front of him, where there was a large hole in the cave wall. The air reeked with blood. Shining out of the hole was a sickly green glow, which mixed with his lightsaber's red colour. Kal'zun deactivated his lightsaber and slowly stepped through the hole, senses alert for any sign of movement, and came into a large cavern. In front of him was... Absolutely nothing? He paused for a moment, confused. He was absolutely sure that he sensed the creature, and it should be no more than six yards away from him, yet there was no sign of the Zhul Stalker. Suddenly, a the hissing sound grew louder than it ever has been, and Kal'zun looked up to find the creature, wrapped around a massive stalactite, its crimson eyes glinting. Without warning, it hissed again loudly and pounced.