Chapter 34: The caves of time

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"Is this it?" Obi-Wan frowned as he looked at the caved in entrance of what seemed to be an abandoned memorial site. Vegetation had overgrown the decorated stone walls and collapsed the pillars that previously held up the mountain. I could hear the clones tying up the gryphons behind us as they conversed amongst themselves.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm almost disappointed." Anakin scoffed lightly as his eyes studied the broken doors. He turned towards me as I was standing just a few feet before them. He couldn't see my eyes, but I knew he could sense that I felt the same way. I had expected a monument at the very least, maybe even an entire town but never this. It seemed abandoned and broken down for the years had probably taken its toll on the structure.

"C'mon, we can't waste any time." I mumbled quietly and stepped into the dark cave, stumbling over the rubble that had almost blocked the entrance. With the help of the jedi, I lifted some of the remaining rocks so that we could pass through. When the sunlight disappeared I simply created a small fire in the palm of my hand that lit our path. It was but a narrow passage, its walls decorated with depictions of the past that were too damaged to actually understand. Squinting my eyes, I made my way further down the moisty, dark space.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Obi-Wan followed in my footsteps and covered his nose. The smell of death and decay was everywhere, making him nauseous. "This doesn't seem like a place where we can find something to kill a legend."

"I don't know Obi-Wan, but I don't think we have any other options right now." I sighed deeply, trying to ignore the gnawing sensation of disappointment and hopelessness. "This is the only lead I got." I sighed when we entered a large room. I raised my hand with the flame and narrowed my eyes, discovering that it was some sort of entrance hall to something big. Both jedi and their troopers entered the chamber, looking around and seeing the massive statues lined up on the corners of the room.

It was at least as big as the great hall back in Eagle's fall, but instead of large benches and tables this one was completely empty except for the paintings and decorations on the walls. "Maybe it might work out after all." I softly smiled when I saw the huge statue of Anduin Fireheart on the other end of the chamber, filling my heart with hope again. I turned around and lit the braziers so we could make out what the paintings were trying to show us.

"It almost looks like they are telling a story." Obi-Wan walked towards the first painting he could see whilst Anakin shuffled around in disinterest and the clones cleared each corner.

"It's the story of the second war, when Anduin Fireheart defeated the jedi." I scoffed at the irony. Obi-Wan turned around slightly, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "As I said, your kind don't have a good reputation here. Almost 300 years ago we were invaded by the sith, so we made an alliance with the jedi so we could defeat them together."

Obi-Wan listened closely as his eyes wandered over the drawings of the war. He could make out several of his own people, dressed in their traditional clothes and standing beside massive warriors with their wings unwrapped behind them. They seemed close allies, for most paintings also showed them teaching each other their ways and traditions. On the other side of that same painting he saw the sith, their eyes bright red and their faces covered with large hoods. The ones showing the war were quite explicit, making Obi-Wan cringe slightly and hastily walk towards the next ones.

"Only we were betrayed." I looked at Obi-Wan when he arrived at the next painting. It showed those same jedi, only they were ready to behead a man which Obi-Wan presumed was king. Behind the king stood Anduin, at that time only a servant. "They turned against us. They killed our king and sent the whole planet into turmoil and chaos. It was only until Anduin Fireheart showed up that we could beat them."

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