Like always everything was working perfectly… until it wasn't …
Haggard and the Druids were trying with all their might to kill everyone… no more playing, no more Roobeast, just them versus the Paladin.
It all started with a distress call using the Blade of Marmora code and frequency and the alarms of the Castle blazing, calling to action.
The Castle wormhole to the closest available location and the Lions flew to the unknown planet. Keith tried to contact Kolivan more than once… but he never received any feedback, he also tried contacting Blade of Marmora's headquarters, but got the same result…
The stress call was coming from an old structure, it looked like some kind of temple, maybe in another moment they would have stop and looked to the strange inscription on the wall, or the way the wall were lit with energy currents, but not now, they were all completely focused on identifying the threat and creating a plan of action.
Pidge was trying to pint point the exact location where the call was originated, but the temple was built like a maze.
"Hey…um guys, don't you think is kind of strange the we have been roaming this place for a while, but we have not find anything?", Hunk whispered while pointing with is bayard at anything that moved.
"Yeah", said Lance "I was literally thinking the same thing" he was positioned at the end of the group, looking for any threads that could attack from behind.
"If the Blade activated a distress protocol… if they… they don't just do it…" Keith gritted his teeth, looking intently to the darkness that was in front.
"We'll get to the bottom of this" Shiro's commanding voice whispered "Is this the right way Pidge? I can swear we pass that same mark on the wall like three times already"
Pidge huffed " The energy on the walls are interfering with my instruments" she looked at the walls " I do believe it could have something to do with the magnetic currents going trough them, since they are in front of each other, I think they are creating constructive pulses, the amplitude of the resulting pulse is the sum of the amplitudes of the two initial pulses. This could be two crests meeting or two troughs meeting…" she stopped her explanation, she could fell the confusion on her teammates "It's like a fog that is in front of my scan"
"Ahhhh", they all exclaimed.
They walked a few more minutes, until Pidge "Finally" murmured Lance, was able to localize the exact room.
"Of course is in the center of the creepy temple, I bet there's a dias and an altar…"
"Hunk, get your head in the game" Shiro was signaling to hold all movement until Pidge could finish scanning the room for any life form.
" Is clear" she said " there is nothing I can pick up"
" Should we even go in?" Lance was looking at the entrance with distrust " I mean… I don't know guys, but this smells like a trap to me"
" Are you sure there is no sign of life inside?" Keith was feeling more and more concerned
"Well, I can't be 100% sure, like I told you before, the electric pulses of the wall are really messing with my instruments"
"Keith" Shiro whispered " Don't do anything rash… maybe Lance is right, this looks really suspicious "
"Preach" exclaimed Lance
"There is no sign of life" Keith responded through gritted teeth.
"Not 100% sure!" repeat Pidge
" What if we were to late" he continued
"What if they are all…I can't just leave them…" he moved forward before
anyone could stopped him…
And everything went to hell.
As soon as Keith got closer to the dais and yes an Altar, Hunk was signaling it and showing to everyone he has been correct. The electric magic attack came from all directions.
The Paladin had little time to react, blood running cold when they noticed the ones attaching them were no others that Zarkon witch and her followers.
Shiro was screaming instructions, trying to coordinate an offensive, but the Druid gave no reprise, one after another the energy crackled, engulfing all empty spaces, the wall were starting to glow brighter and brighter. One energy blast hit extremely close to Keith, in order to avoid it he had to jump into the Altar, it was on that moment, all walls shined with an incandescent forced, making everyone on the room cover their eyes. Even the witch couldn't resist.
Keith, just like everybody else, was also blinded by the light and couldn't see how all the energy was concentrating on the dais and moving up to the Altar, he felt something hot engulfed him and then a excruciating pain that left him paralyzed, body arching back and a scream tearing from his throat.
All the Druid began to disappear, even Haggard had to retreat, she could fell the room feeding from her Quintessence , as soon as she left the light died and Keith fell back on the Altar completely unconscious.
"Keith!" Shiro was screaming and blindly stumbling in the room, he was completely unaware of Keith location… his horrific scream reverberating on his mind.
"I can't see" complained Lance "Keith, please buddy, you have to talk to us" the silence was so loud to Lance ears…
Pidge was blindly pressing on her helmet, trying to make the visor as dark as possible, hopping it would help her see something. She finally got the correct shade allowing her some small vision.
"Everyone one calm down" she commanded on a shaky voice " Set your visors on the darkest setting, it will help some" she looked around "I can't see the Witch or the Druids' they must have left during the light explosion" she started looking for Keith, she could hear complaint from her teammates they were unable to find the correct command on their helmets in order to make the required changes, but she was not paying attention... she could see Keith prone form on the Altar.
"No"
she started running Shiro following close.
"God, please no…please…please …no" they could hear Shiro desperate voice.
"Keith…please" Pidge was also begging.
He arrived first and upon laying his eyes on Keith, he notice something was horrible wrong, but he also notice Keith was breathing and that was everything that matter right now.
He picked him up with the most possible care, to scare to notice what was amiss.
"Pidge, look for the fastest way out…"
CRACK
One part of the ceiling almost fell on top of them.
"RUN" screamed Lance.
"Run where" ask Hunk, while running.
"The interference is over, just follow me" screams Pidge.
Shiro was holding Keith close to his chest, trying to keep him as stable as possible…while escaping from a temple that was following a part.
They find the exit much more faster that what it took them to get to the center, part of it was Pigde instruments were working perfectly and part was most of the front of the structure was already in ruins, leaving a straight road outside.
They run to the Lions, all of them felling the distress of their owner, all ready have their mouths open and ready for them, with the exception of the Red Lion, her eyes were light up, and if there was a way for the Lions to show distress, well she was showing it.
Shiro sat on the fight deck immediately containing the Castle and informing Allura and Cora of the situation, without releasing Keith, who was still completely out, breathing calmly, as if it was a normal sleep, but Shiro knew something was wrong, he could fell it on the deepest part of his soul.
"Please hang on, don't you dare.." his voice shook with emotion
"Shiro!" Lance concern was palpable "is he.. ?"
"He is breathing…the faster we get to the Castle… Princess! Have a Pod ready"
"We have everything ready" answered Coran "The Princess is already on the Black Lion hangar, we assumed you will be bringing Keith back, she have a body scan, that way it would be much more faster to get him on the Pod"
The flight back was short, but extremely long for all of them.
As soon as the Black Lion entered the Castle Shiro brought Keith to the body scan, laying him down with all the care in the world. As soon as the machine close and stared working the Princess pushed it to the medical bay, while looking at the screen for the results.
Shiro tried to explain what happen, but the Princess told him it was not really necessary, the body scan will show everything that was wrong and the Pod would fix it.
They arrived to the medical bay, all the Paladins arriving short after. The Princess was looking at the screen, one hand covering her mouth and eyes big.
"I need everybody to retire from the room immediately " she ordered in a curt voice.
The room got colder, all Paladins looking at her with big scary eyes.
"What? Why? Keith…what is is?, Lance started walking close.
"Immediately" she looked at all of them.
"No" said Shiro " You will tell us what's wrong, Keith…he is…Keith is my charge…if there is anything wrong, you have to…"
"There is nothing wrong" she whispered turning around and looking intently at Keith "Nothing I can do.. or fix"
"What do you mean?"Asked Hunk, " He is hurt! We all hear him! The scream… he wouldn't scream that way…"
"Allura, please…" Shiro begged "He is my little brother…"
"Sister" corrected Allura, she returned around and looked directly to Shiro's eyes.
" You now have a little sister"
TBC