Gaze of Stone

"Gaze of Stone" is a short story that was published in Myths & Fables. The story was authored by George Mann, illustrated by Grant Griffin, and published on August 6, 2019.
==Plot summary==
According to legend there is a highly detailed statue of a robed Twi'lek on a mountaintop on the planet Moraband. Many tales surround this figure but one tale claims the statue is in fact a Sith named Ry Nymbis who was turned to stone. 
Born on the planet Ryloth, Ry Nymbis had a dark presence in the Force from birth. Most people related to Nymbis distanced themselves from him, having felt the darkness residing in him. Eventually his Ry Nymbis' mother look for help from soothsayers, medics, shamans and doctors, all noticed the sense of strangeness but none could determine the cause. One day a Duros named Darth Caldoth visited the mom and told her that the boy had a great connection to the Living Force. Knowing that the boy would not be happy on Ryloth and might even become a danger to those that shunned him, the mother accepted Darth Caldoth offer to take the boy as an apprentice. 
The first act Caldoth took was dropping Nymbis off on a forest world of Simoth. From there, Nymbis became a slave and was forced to fight against creatures such as dianogas, slothkins, and other slaves. Soon enough, Nymbis became feared by the other slaves as a powerful weapon forged in the gladiatorial pit. For seven years, Nymbis fought as the champion of the pit. Caldoth eventually returned to Simoth to acquire his Sith apprentice. Easliy cutting through both slavers and slaves alike, Caldoth approached Nymbis which awoke his memories of being taken from Ryloth. With rage burning in him, Nymbis charged at Caldoth but was easily dispatched having severed one of his lekku in the process. 
Together the two traveled the galaxy searching for mysterious artifacts to add to Caldoth's growing collection. During that time Nymbis visited an ancient temple sacred to the Sith, which resided on the mountainside of an abandoned moon in wild space. For seven days, Nymbis traversed through the ruins, succumbing to visions of his mother and other people from his past, as well as a vision of what he might become. Soon after Caldoth sent Nymbis against a female knight, which he fought and killed for his own saber. As his power grew so too did Nymbis's hate for his master. Over the years, Nymbis begun to increasing believe that Caldoth was holding knowledge from him as such Nymbis began to plot against his master. 
After years of working for his master the day came for Nymbis to defeat his master. Nymbis planned to deploy a stolen alchemical ritual that would bind Caldoth to stone. After luring Caldoth to a mountaintop on the world Korriban, Nymbis began enacting the ritual. However, Caldoth was prepared for Nymbis' eventual betrayal, and altered the words in the ritual so that it would affect the user itself. In a futile attempt to entomb Caldoth, Nymbis recited the words to the ritual, forever encasing himself in stone.
==Appearances==
==Notes and references==
Category:Myths & Fables