Chapter 10

Having run the full distance back to the rebel camp from Phylacos, Mishta dropped to her knees just inside the treeline encompassing her comrades' hiding place, clutching her chest for fear it might burst from exertion. She was fit and she was fast, but she'd never pushed herself so hard before. She'd never needed to until now. But today she suspected their crusade had reached a pivotal point and her speed might be of the essence.

Steadying her breathing, she slugged back a couple of mouthfuls and made herself presentable, hurriedly untying then retying the high pony tail on the crown on her head, taking in all the unruly strands that had worked their way free. If she planned to address the Founders with the amazing news she'd discovered, it wouldn't do to appear panicked and dishevelled. She wanted to look calm and in control, the way Lansha no doubt would when he gave them his findings about the explosives. But what Mishta had overheard on the Reliquiae vessel would eclipse any good news Lansha bore. It would eclipse everything that had gone before. For once, she would be the hero.

She walked calmly to the centre of camp. There, she spotted Goronak roasting some lirra lizard meat on a stick for a snack before their main evening meal.

'Goronak,' she said softly, 'May I speak with you?'

He looked up at her, still holding his meal in the flames. She saw relief in the old man's eyes. 'Mishta. Child…where have you been? Your brother returned for our midday meal, and he thought you should be back, too. We were worried for your safety.'

'I was following my instincts,' she replied enigmatically.

His expression said all she needed to see. Everyone in the camp knew about Mishta's knack for causing trouble, and her instincts usually led her straight into it. She supposed she didn't blame him for doubting her.

'Where to?' he asked, his gaze roving over her dusty clothes and sunburned shoulders. It had to be obvious she'd been out at the height of their primary sun's ascent. They all sought shade at that time in this season, as burning was inevitable.

'I saw a Reliquiae craft.'

A look of panic instantly crossed Goronak's face. 'The Reliquiae? They're in the area? I hope they didn't see you!'

She shook her head, still working to steady her breathing. 'No…They had too much on their minds to notice someone as insignificant as me.'

His body relaxed at that assertion. 'I'm glad to hear that. Where exactly did you see them?'

'At Phylacos.'

His eyes widened, surprise slackening his wizened old features. 'You've been to Phylacos?'

She nodded again. 'Well, to the perimeter. I followed their craft and it lead me there.'

Mishta saw doubt cloud his expression again, and he returned his attention to his now slightly over-cooked snack, snatching it away from the lick of the flames. 'I thought the Reliquiae had been banished from Akalus' complex years ago.'

'There was good reason for them to travel there, Goronak. I beg you to gather everyone together now and not wait until the sun sets. What I have to tell you cannot wait.'

Goronak tried to pull a little meat free from the skewered carcass, hissing as he burned his fingertips. He shook his head as he sucked hot meat juices from them, then replied, 'It would be better to wait until after we've eaten. You'll find our comrades listen far better on a full stomach.'

'This is urgent, Goronak,' she insisted, her voice losing a little of its imposed calm as she sensed her opportunity to shine slipping away. 'The news I have is more important than food or drink, or day or night, or -'

With an exaggerated sigh, he distractedly returned his meat to the flames to cook a little longer. 'All right, Mishta. I understand your news is of great significance,' he told her, patting the air with his free hand to assuage her. 'So, tell me, what was so important about this trip to Phylacos?'

'The Reliquiae didn't just turn up today, they were summoned there by Akalus himself.'

Now, she had his undivided attention. 'Summoned? How do you know that?'

'I heard it, straight from their own mouths…well, via a bugging device.'

Goronak nodded. 'I see. But summoned for what purpose?'

'To save the life of the prophesied one.'

The Founder's face froze. As he allowed her words to sink in, the stick holding his lirra meat burned through, dropping his appetizer into the fire's core. He didn't even notice.

'Sound the gathering drum,' he shouted across the clearing, the young male sitting closest to it scrabbling to his feet to carry out the order.

The hide drum reverberated with every strike, its deep, mellow tone clear enough for all in the camp to hear. Within moments, every member of the rebellion had gathered around the fire, listening intently to the recording Mishta had made of the conversation aboard the Diiro Koora.

The Reliquiae had taken a human on board their vessel, referring to him as an Ancient One. In Birajan scriptures, the prophesied was born of an ancient race from the city of Atlantis - a race that held the key to returning the Reliquiae to their former health and status in the Pegasus Galaxy.

They discussed the fact the Ancient One was close to death, and they would need to administer the enzyme immediately to save him…though only enough to keep him alive until they had tested his worth. They had flown the craft to their mountain fortress at Agrastan, far north of Phylacos, where his position could be defended from anyone who might find out his worth. They had even communicated with other Reliquiae clans living further afield to ensure they would gather at Agrastan to discuss how they should proceed with their plans for the human. Never in Mishta's lifetime had so many Reliquiae been gathered so close to their home. The thought struck terror deep in her heart. No one would be safe if the Reliquiae rose again.

As Mishta's gaze drifted around their solemn faces, her eyes finally met her brother's. Even though the news she brought to the group was both of phenomenal importance and terrifying, he still managed to look angry with her. Obviously, her discovery had left his looking comparatively meagre. Was this jealousy? Was he finally getting a taste of how she had felt in all the years she had constantly walked in his shadow?

'Friends,' Goronak said, addressing the group, 'you've heard these words straight from the mouths of the Reliquiae. Akalus has found the one the scriptures tell us of, the human who carries in the balance not only our fate, but the potential to restore the Reliquiae to their former superiority. And now, he is in their hands. It is only a matter of time before the Reliquiae increase in strength and ferocity and they drive us from our homes with their harvesting raids, just as our ancestors were driven out before us. They have to be stopped before this can happen.'

The group remained hushed. It was clear from their expressions that they could hardly comprehend what they were hearing. In a short moment of time, they had learned that the two worst prophecies in their scriptures were coming true. What could anyone say to offer them solace?

'We have no choice now,' Goronak continued. 'We're forced to act, whether we're ready to or not. We need to remove the human from the Reliquiae fortress, and bring down Phylacos. We've made the mistake of becoming complacent. We cannot afford to be complacent any longer.'

'I would like to make the trip to Agrastan to kill the human,' Mishta said, breaking the silence that had once again enveloped them.

'No,' she heard Lansha's voice call out.

'Why not?' she demanded, turning to face him. 'You don't think I'm capable, I suppose?'

Lansha pushed through from the back of the group, making his way to the central fire. 'If we kill him, Akalus will send the Kheprians to seek another. We might never have another opportunity like this. We know exactly where The Ancient One is. We should take him from the Reliquiae while they are still weakened and bring him here. If he remains alive, Akalus will concentrate his efforts on trying to retrieve him and not seeking another.'

'As will the Reliquiae…and weak or not, they can still easily tear us apart,' Mishta was quick to point out, seeing the obvious flaw in his plan.

'The Reliquiae are weak, Mishta,' Lansha pointed out, his vehemence there for all to hear. 'If we can elude them for long enough they will be forced back into hibernation to preserve what is left of their lives. We take the human, and we gain control. He is leverage. His presence will force them to act with caution where normally they would take none.'

'You're suggesting we threaten to kill him if either of them come after us…then they may as well seek out another,' Mishta scoffed.

'But this one is already here, and our enemies are arrogant in the certainty that they can win,' Lansha reminded her. 'So, while Akalus is distracted by plans of retrieving him, and the Reliquiae return to their slumbers, we will strike at Phylacos.'

'You make a valid point, Lansha,' Goronak nodded. 'If we hold the human here and let Akalus know he is still alive he will spend his time trying to reclaim him. His guard will be down. We will be in command for once.'

Mishta rolled her eyes, having little patience for such mind-games, but realising that the decision had already been made. 'Then, I will travel to Agrastan to steal the human,' she offered, rewording her suggestion.

Lansha shook his head at her. 'You're too tired,' he said. 'You've covered a great distance on foot today. You need to rest. You've done enough for one day.'

She didn't believe his reasoning, suspecting he really wished to prevent her from gaining any more glory. 'I couldn't rest now if I wanted to,' she growled. 'We face our greatest threat ever, and you think I should retire to my bed? I could not be that selfish.'

'I think there are others who will prove more able, that's all.'

Mishta squared up to him, her anger now reaching boiling point. 'That's not all, and you know it,' she charged.

'Please!' Goronak shouted over them. 'We don't have time for one of your arguments.'

'If we wish to keep him alive, I need to go because I can communicate with the human,' she said. 'I'm fluent in my father's tongue. I can talk to him, and convince him to leave with us.'

'As could I,' Lansha pointed out. 'Perhaps it would be better if I made the journey to Agrastan.'

And there it was. She'd known Lansha meant to steal her thunder. 'You're in the middle of negotiations to secure the explosives we require, aren't you?' she reminded him. 'I know you found the information we were looking for last night.'

'Is this true?' some of those around him asked.

Lansha nodded, dropping his violet gaze to the ground and looking sheepish. 'It is. Goronak and I planned to update you all at sunset, as originally suggested, but it seems matters have rather overtaken us.'

'Mishta is right. We need you to follow up on the purchase of explosives. Mishta will have to go to Agrastan herself,' Goronak said.

'I'll make the journey with her,' Juroah offered. 'It's not a trip anyone should make alone.'

'No, Juroah,' she said more gently. She knew his suggestion grew out of concern for her, not from any yearning to outshine her, but it was too dangerous for him to go to Agrastan. 'As a female, I don't run as high a risk of a painful death to provide food for the Reliquiae. If you come with me, you put yourself in terrible danger…and the scent of male blood will draw them to us.'

'I understand the challenge I face,' he said with a patient, fatherly look. 'But as you said, we cannot put selfish needs before duty. Besides,' he said with a casual shrug, 'if you run into trouble I can cause the perfect distraction.'

'I'd prefer it if you didn't,' she grumbled, angry that he would be so flippant about his life.

'Then, it's agreed,' Goronak said. 'Juroah and Mishta will travel to Agrastan to attempt to retrieve the human, and Lansha will lead negotiations for the explosives to destroy Phylacos. We must prepare.'

As the group disbanded, Juroah began to ask others to help him gather weaponry and supplies for the journey he and Mishta were about to make. He had many volunteers offering their assistance, all wanting to play their part in whatever small way they could.

Mishta left him to it and headed toward her tent to gather her own kit, but Lansha caught her by the arm and pulled her aside from the others. 'What was last night about, Mishta?' he demanded, shaking her as he spoke. 'Do you realise how dangerous your actions were?'

She snatched her arm free and rubbed at the mark his grip had left. 'I knew what I was doing. I didn't ask for your help.'

Lansha's eye was puffy and bruised from the punch he'd taken while defending her honour. She felt a pang of guilt as she looked at him, not that she allowed him to see it.

'You could have been seriously hurt, don't you see that?'

'I knew what I was doing.'

'Did you?' His glare was so intense she felt compelled to back down. Her brother remained one of the few who could make her do that, because she knew he was her equal when it came to lost tempers.

'Perhaps I had indulged in a little too much to drink,' she admitted quietly.

'Perhaps! I think there's no doubting it!'

She dropped her head still further. 'All right. I was drunk.'

'And do you think that Japhalan would have considered whether or not you were inebriated once you were alone with him?'

She kicked at a tree root sticking up a little in front of her feet. 'No.'

'Have you taken your medicines recently?'

Now, her eyes flashed up to meet his once again. 'What are you insinuating?'

'I insinuate nothing, Mishta. I know you only act this rashly when you haven't taken them.'

'It's my decision whether I take them or not.'

'Not when your behaviour affects those around you. You have a responsibility to take care of yourself, Mishta. Your behaviour last night could have jeopardised my talks with the Entuurians and I might never have sourced the explosives.'

She planted her hands on her hips and glared. 'Is that really what bothers you, Lansha, or is it the fact that I found out something even more important?'

Mishta saw the rage burning behind his eyes, but thankfully, he had taken his medicines, so kept his ire in check. Unexpectedly, his expression softened at her challenge. 'I'm not jealous of your achievement, Mishta. I'm eternally thankful that you were able to bug that Reliquiae ship, or we might never have known about the human and his change in location. You have given us what is potentially a tremendous advantage in the upcoming battle. But the fact you took on such a dangerous task without being fully medicated frightens me. Anything could have happened to you.'

'But it didn't.'

'More due to luck than skill, I think,' he growled. 'And now you wish to go to Agrastan to remove the human from Reliquiae clutches - you're being ridiculous!'

'It's not ridiculous. Juroah has trained me to be a warrior for over a year now. I'm fit, I'm strong, and I'm skilled. I'm also a female, so I'm harder to track and they would get little benefit from my blood. That makes me the perfect candidate for this mission.'

'You're not balanced. If I told Goronak that you haven't been taking your medicines -'

She grabbed his shirtfront. 'You wouldn't dare!'

He prised her fingers from his clothing. 'Do not try my patience, Mishta, or I might.'

She let him go and calmed herself once again.

Lansha pulled a vial of liquid from his pocket and handed it to her. 'Here. Take this now,' he ordered.

Mishta looked at it, and then at Lansha, considering another attempt at protest, but she knew it would be futile. She unscrewed the top, put it to her lips, and threw back the contents. It left a bitter trail all the way down to her stomach.

'I'll give another vial to Juroah and instruct him to ensure you take it during the journey to Agrastan. With two doses inside you, your mind will feel more balanced for the job ahead. And don't think you can persuade Juroah otherwise; he knows as well as I do that you perform better when you take it.'

'You're worse than having a father,' she hissed, throwing the empty vial onto the floor and crushing it under her boot. 'All it does is dull my senses and make me weak. If I die out there, it will be because your stupid medicine slowed my reactions.'

'No, if you die out there, it will be because your head was racing away with you because you didn't take enough.' She pushed him aside, refusing to engage in his one-upmanship any longer. As she stormed toward her tent, he called after her, 'I would prefer it if you didn't die at all.'

Mishta grunted something unrepeatable in return, and disappeared into her shelter to collect what she needed.

oooOOOooo

Hakkar hesitated a while at Akalus' door before alerting his "master" to his presence. He could feel the heaviness in the air, knew it was Akalus' fury affecting their surroundings, and wondered if he was about to meet his end. He'd already thought out his excuses for any questions Akalus might have, and they were sound, but that didn't mean the man would be reasonable. An angry Akalus was an unpredictable Akalus, and that was always dangerous.

But Hakkar had been summoned. He had no choice but to obey.

He activated the chime to announce his presence.

The door slid back, but Akalus did not move, remaining still as a statue behind his desk. Hakkar walked forward, keeping his head bowed. 'You wished to see me. Master?'

A period of silence followed, accompanied by a low-level trembling through the floor. Then Akalus finally spoke. 'How did this happen?'

'We tried to stop them, but they had just fed and were too strong,' Hakkar explained, hoping to appeal to some previously undiscovered empathy the man might harbour.

'I'm not talking about the Reliquiae escaping!' Akalus squawked, thumping his gauntleted fists down onto the table top. 'How did they get the prisoner? I asked you to take him to the infirmary.'

This was the question Hakkar had prepared for and so was unshaken as he replied, 'I was on my way when I heard a commotion in the lobby. I decided to leave him on the gantry while I tried to assist in containing the Reliquiae. I thought he would be secure there. I had no idea they would find him there.

'That human was important to me,' Akalus railed, rising from his seat as he slammed his hands down this time. I gave you the job of escorting him because I thought you were the most capable of your kind. Was I wrong?'

That wasn't a question Hakkar had anticipated and he wasn't sure just how he should answer it. Akalus couldn't trust him, but not for the reason he was thinking. 'I'm sorry, Master. If I had thought for even a second that they –'

'I don't need you to think, I need you to follow orders.'

The room shook harder, Akalus' disapproval rising. Hakkar remained still. He needed to survive this encounter if he hoped to help his men get free of Akalus. He had to try to pull this back. 'I believed you were in danger, Master. Your protection seemed like a priority at that time. I knew the human would not be able to move from where I had left him. I made a mistake…I apologise.'

The shaking in the floor began to very slowly subside. Akalus was forgiving him. The man sank back into his seat. 'Fortunately for you, the Reliquiae need him alive. We will retrieve him once his is well again.'

'Retrieve him? Is the human important to you, too, Master,' Hakkar enquired innocently, knowing he shouldn't know the answer to that. 'What makes this human so valuable to you all?'

'You don't need to concern yourself with such trivialities. Just be ready should I need you to assist with the retrieval.'

'Of course, Master,' Hakkar said dipping his head, turning for the door.

'And Hakkar,' Akalus announced, just as Hakkar was about to leave. 'The Birajans found one of their fellow scientists dead in their dormitory. It's not the first time their squabbles have turned violent, but they assure me none of them are to blame. Have your men be extra vigilant. We may have an intruder…perhaps someone who gained access during the troubles with the Reliquiae.

'I will ensure they are informed,' Hakkar agreed, taking his leave.

Outside Akalus' chamber, with the door now closed between them, Hakkar took a deep breath of the precious gases keeping him alive. Not many things in this galaxy frightened him. The Reliquiae were one, and Akalus was the other. There was an undefinable strength to the man that seemed to exceed anything the laws of physics could explain. He had no doubt the man could kill him with little effort, and had spent the past five months in fear for his life and the lives of his men almost every day. But he felt the opportunity to gain their freedom was nearing. He just needed to keep his head and hopefully things between Akalus and the Reliquiae would escalate in a way that would weaken the man, perhaps bringing an end to this place.

And if Phylacos fell, his people might be freed at last.

oooOOOooo

Shortly before sunset, a small, state-of-the-art two-person transport vessel landed in the exercise yard at Phylacos. Two males disembarked, the smaller of them rapping hard on the doors to gain someone's attention. A Kheprian guard opened them up and, recognising the two visitors, granted them entrance.

They followed him down shady corridors until they reached their destination - Master Akalus' office.

Another knock on the door and his voice came back, telling them to enter. He turned to watch as the bloated figure, with his tiny, weasel-like assistant, entered.

Prince Valkalar was somewhat overdressed for the occasion, but that was his habit. He liked to take every opportunity to remind people of his wealth and standing in his society. His gold neck chain hung heavy and long about his short neck, clattering against his golden belt buckle as he walked into the room, his hand outstretched toward their host.

Akalus made a point of remaining behind his desk, not walking to meet him, but took his hand and bent forward to touch his helmeted forehead to it as was expected when meeting a prince of the Rammarant tribe.

The Rammarant tribe were Birajans, as were the majority of inhabitants of this planet. They had broken away from the main population some centuries ago, forming their own tribe that inhabited the southernmost regions of the most habitable landmass, an area colder and more verdant than here where Phylacos sat. To compensate for the cooler climate, the tribe were generally heavier set than their relatives in the warmer climes. They tended to eat a lot during the cool summer months and then rest quietly in their homes during the very coldest winter months living on their fat reserves and plenty of sleep. As it was currently the summer season, Valkalar was looking particularly rotund. Even his relatively small companion carried a considerable paunch sitting atop his belt.

'I have come to make a purchase,' he announced, not bothering to woo Akalus with any facile niceties.

'Of course you have,' their host's mechanical voice replied, matter of fact.

'But this time,' Valkalar said, holding up a commanding hand to stop him, 'I have a proposition for you.'

'Do you, indeed?' Akalus asked, the slight tilt of his helmet suggesting he might actually be mildly amused by that thought.

Valkalar's tongue flickered out as his obvious excitement at what he was about to suggest rose. 'I have here,' he said, holding up an exquisitely hand-crafted bag, 'the sum we agreed in the past for one human. But here,' he pointed to a much larger and more elaborately decorated bag carried by Tamrak, his attendant, 'I have twenty times that amount, because this time I want to purchase a specific human.'

Akalus paused, letting his offer hang in the air for a while as if he was giving it some serious thought. 'Which human?' he eventually asked.

'As you know, I am always looking for interesting experimentation materials,' the prince said, rubbing his hands together. 'And it has come to my attention that you possess a human woman with traces of Wraith DNA in its pure, original form.'

He watched Akalus' armoured gloves clench on his table-top. 'You did not just chance by this information,' his low voice growled. 'I have only logged this on my private database of prisoner details…a database I now have to presume you have had the audacity to infiltrate.'

'Only with the intention of making better trade…for both of us,' Valkalar trilled, taking out a lace trimmed handkerchief to dab at his brow. He hadn't wanted to show any nerves, but moisture leaked from between his head platelets, giving away that his grand talk was nothing more than bluff.

'Odd that you are interested in that particular human,' Akalus said, standing and walking around the desk between them to come to stand over him. 'Rumour has it that the Valkalar tribe has ideas above their station…that they plan to build an unstoppable army to give them ultimate power on Gragoffa.'

All he could see was his own panicked expression reflected back at him from Akalus' visor, and Valkalar felt his bravado melt away before him. He'd met Akalus on two previous occasions, but this time he seemed different, stronger somehow, and far more menacing. The ferocity of his angry proximity left the prince feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

'Nonsense, nonsense. I only wish the genetic material to improve my own health and longevity,' he chuckled.

Akalus growled in a most unnerving way that made him spew more words forth before he could consider what he was saying.

'I hear talk that you plan to end the universe, a sure sign that not everything we hear is true,' he fired back at his host, giving another nervous, almost maniacal, laugh.

Akalus didn't flinch or waiver, unimpressed as he apparently was with the prince's attempt at levity. 'But I know what I hear to be true,' he said in reply. 'You experiment with genetics and interfere with the natural order of things. I cannot condone it.'

Valkalar almost choked out a laugh at the hypocrisy of his words. Almost. Instead, he drew in a sharp breath, tucking his thumbs into his thick belt while trying to look relaxed. 'Master Akalus, I do not wish to be disrespectful, but I am a Prince of the Rammarant tribe; I neither need nor desire your approval to do anything – especially considering the nature of the work I know you carry out in the bowels of this facility.'

Even without being able to see his face, Valkalar knew Akalus was enraged by his comment. The air surrounding them seemed suddenly hot and oppressive. His head grew light, and an uncomfortable nausea twinged in his stomach.

Akalus remained rigid in his seat. 'When you discard my comments so trivially, it is disrespectful, Valkalar,' he growled. 'What you do and what you plan to do compounds all that is wrong with this universe and I cannot allow you to continue.'

'Are you threatening me, Master Akalus?' the prince asked, his shaky voice almost sticking in his throat.

'Take it as you will,' he said, 'but be sure to heed my words.'

Valkalar made a show of straightening his already pristine clothing with a sharp tug. 'So, do I take it you are unwilling to sell the woman to me?' he demanded, still faking bravery to save face in front of his attendant.

'I will not sell her,' Akalus replied. 'The woman stays here and you will make no mention to anyone else of what information you have extracted from my database, do you understand?' The room seemed to quake as he spoke, nothing obvious, just a subtle tremor that made Valkalar grip the arms of his seat tightly. 'I have not had a good day, Valkalar, and your presence here adds insult to injury. Now remove yourself from my presence and be thankful I do not kill you where you sit for your transgressions…both against me and nature itself.'

'The scriptures foretell of one who will come and set into effect events that will end in the destruction of all life as we know it,' Valkalar said as he rose from his chair and headed toward the door. 'Even with the promise of rebirth you give to those foolish enough to help you, how can that be better than what you claim that I intend?'

'Because it will right many wrongs…wrongs that should never have been committed.'

The prince frowned, unable to fathom what Akalus could possibly mean by that. 'And who gave you the right to make that decision?' he demanded. 'Why you, and not any of a dozen other despots sitting pretty in their power bases in this system?'

Once again, the air in the room seemed to thicken, and that gentle tremor increased to a more violent shaking, so much so that Valkalar was forced to steady himself against the doorway as he reached it. 'Because it is and always has been my destiny to do this.'

Though terrified, Valkalar refused to back down from the challenge. 'I see you hold yourself in high regard, Master Akalus. I, however, do not, and I also do not thank you for rebuffing my generosity this way. My offer is more than fair.'

'You should be thankful that I've given you the opportunity to see the error of your ways before I'm forced to act,' Akalus told him, rising from his chair and following his path toward the exit. 'The woman you seek does not exist. Forget the information you found. Tell no one, do you understand?

'And if I do tell?'

The room seemed to darken and close in, making Valkalar regret his question. 'You do not wish to incur my wrath, Valkalar. I have powers at my disposal you cannot begin to comprehend and you really do not want me to turn my attentions to you.'

Valkalar paused, considering making an apology before regaining his smugness and coming right back at him. 'I'm not afraid of you,' he snorted. 'If you are so powerful, why skulk here in the shadows of Phylacos? And why do you dare not show your true face. For all I know, you could be some immature Birajan child hiding behind that mask and armour. You claim to have powers…show them.'

There was a prolonged pause before Akalus replied, 'You do not want me to do that.'

Behind him, Valkalar sensed Tamrak trembling. He knew the sensible thing would be to back down, but his sense of indignation interfered with that logical reaction. How dare this imbecile make these outlandish threats to him? He was a prince of the Rammarant tribe, after all.

'This is not the last you have heard of this matter,' he said, pushing his quivering attendant toward the door. 'I am furious to have made this long journey to receive nothing more than your preaching for my trouble. When my tribe hear of how you have treated me, they will be equally appalled.'

The room shook again, in fact, it felt as if the whole building and the very ground it stood on vibrated vigorously to the extent that he thought he could hear the stone foundations it was built on crack. His head clouded with utter darkness that crushed in on his brain, blanking out all thought other than utter despair and the loss of all hope.

When he came to his senses, he was on his knees and sobbing, though he could barely remember why.

'You have been warned,' Akalus said simply, returning to his seat.

It took Valkalar several more long moments before he could gather himself enough to get back to his feet with Tamrak's help.

'This is not the end of the matter!' the prince blustered again, slapping Tamrak's hands away and straightening out his thick jacket. He felt sorely embarrassed by the encounter, and that embarrassment made him careless of his words.

'You would be wise to let this go,' Akalus warned, leaning forward on his desk toward the Birajan. 'Don't anger me further, Valkalar.'

The door shut between them, cutting the confrontation short.

The two Birajans looked at each other, Valkalar still seething. He smacked Tamrak around the back of his head. 'Where was your support, Tamrak? Why did you not tell him he could not speak to your prince that way?'

'If...if he is the one in the teachings…'

'He is not,' Valkalar raged, grabbing his attendant's collar and tugging him along as he headed back to his craft. 'The harbinger is a fallacy – part of a story designed to scare younglings, nothing more.'

'Yes, my prince,' Tamrak said, bowing his head. But the look in his eyes when he came upright again clearly showed the servant wasn't so sure.

oooOOOooo

When Sheppard opened his eyes again, there were several Reliquiae faces looking down on him.

Damn.

And he'd really hoped he might get lucky and die in his sleep.

As he struggled up into a sitting position so he could feel less vulnerable, they all took a few steps back to give him breathing space, almost as though they were keeping a respectful distance. Respectful or fearful…though he couldn't honestly believe it was the latter. The female who had spoken with him earlier was there with her back to him, programming a machine. The horrible thought that it might be some sort of torture device popped into his mind, and he battled with the fear now descending on him to keep it at bay so he could think clearly.

She turned to face him then, and as some kind of nominated spokeswoman, the auburn-haired female introduced him to his new companions. 'John Sheppard, following a gathering of the High Council of the Reliquiae, we have decided your life will be spared.'

The rush of relief that suddenly washed over him left him dizzy. He looked around at the group, each one almost salivating as they stared back at him. Occasionally, one would sniff the air, and her breathing would grow erratic until she could compose herself again. They might have decided to spare him, but they were definitely fighting their most base instincts to keep him breathing. He got the distinct impression they didn't like him and would be more than happy to tear out his jugular and drink his blood like a water fountain.

'You are still weak,' the female stated. 'We will restore your health to you and you, in turn, will help us.'

The others seated themselves on the bed around him, surrounding him, cutting off any escape route out of that room. He could hear their breathing, unnaturally shallow as if they had just finished a ten-klick run. His skin crawled at the thought that they were excited by his presence there. He hoped they had plenty of that restraint the chatty one kept talking about.

'Oookaaay,' he drawled, eying them all suspiciously. 'So…what exactly do I have to do?'

'For now, you need simply relax and allow us to treat you.'

The female sitting to his left gently pressed a hand against his chest, insisting that he lay back down again. He wasn't exactly happy with the idea of lying prone in the middle of a bunch of flesh eating monsters, but for some reason he believed them when they said he was going to be spared. The push against him grew in intensity until he had to succumb to the silent instruction. Now he was back to looking up at the five faces staring down at him, only this time they were much closer.

He heard some more work being done on the device at the bedside, then Chatty Cathy, too, was leaning over him.

'Before we begin, I must attach these to you.' She took some wireless electrode pads and attached them over his heart and main pulse points and forehead. A holographic display of readings fired up, not that he could understand what any of them meant. Although, he thought the language looked oddly familiar…

'His heart rate and pulse are weak. Skin temperature is cooler than should be expected, and respiration is shallow,' the female reported to her sisters. 'We've reached him just in time.'

Sheppard couldn't help thinking that was a matter of perspective.

'The council has decided to take the rare decision to share our medicine with you,' he heard the female explain. 'You are valuable to us, and unless we do this, you will not survive more than a few days.'

He felt the prick of a needlepoint break the skin on his upper arm, a cold solution mixing with his blood. A few seconds later, his mind felt as though it was expanding and a sense of euphoria overtook his emotions, leaving him reeling and unable to focus. This felt worryingly familiar…

Instinctively he tried to resist, but instantly felt hands grab hold of him, pinning him to the bed. 'Be still, John Sheppard,' the chatty one soothed, her face coming into view above him wearing a serene smile. 'We mean you no harm. We only require your compliance. And to gain that we must make you reliant upon us.'

Oh hell! He'd known this was all too good to be true. He strained against them, and although he felt stronger again than he had when he'd woken, he still didn't have the strength to shake five of them off.

'You may not know who we are, John Sheppard,' Chatty Cathy purred, her eyes flashing with repressed anger. 'But your name holds resonance among our kind. It echoes of a past we yearn to return to. We know you will fight…we know you will resist…but we have something powerful enough to defeat even your opposition.'

'Who are you?' he demanded, pulling away as hard as his new-found vigour allowed. 'Why did you bring me here?'

The female's smile broadened into something more vicious. 'Long ago, your doctors found a way to cure my kind,' she hissed, her words causing some of the females holding him to tighten their grip, their nails digging sharply into his skin. 'A traitor in our midst agreed to disseminate your vaccine through subterfuge and aggression. A bid to regain status lost through his own carelessness. It made us weak, stole our differences, turned us into nothing more than an augmented version of you humans.'

She said that final word as if it tasted bitter in her mouth. He could feel the hatred they had been disguising oozing from all his captors now. And he had to admit, there was something vaguely familiar about these females. He dearly hoped he was wrong.

'For a while we became as you, feeding on the meagre scraps this universe provides. But something went wrong, just as something always goes wrong when you humans tamper with the natural course of things.'

Sheppard had an awful feeling he didn't want to hear what they were going to tell him. This didn't make sense. If he was right, what this female was telling him was only an idea in the pipeline when he'd last been aboard Atlantis. Had things really moved on this far?

'It seems fitting that you…one of the authors of our downfall…should be the one to restore us to what we once were,' she continued, sitting beside him and stroking the backs of her fingers down the plane of his left cheek in a manner he again found eerily familiar. 'Your life is now in our hands. We will keep you alive as long as you serve our needs…or as long as you amuse us. You will worship us as others once did. You will tell us what we need to know to return us to our former state. And with the knowledge you carry, the knowledge you will share with us, the Reliquiae will be reborn as the Wraith once again.'

Though his instincts had already told him that was why these females creeped him out so much, hearing her tell him what his subconscious had already pieced together made it more terrifyingly real. Sheppard fought hard as he felt another dose of what had to be enzyme enter his body via the syringe. The treatment that had changed them clearly hadn't stopped their bodies producing the enzyme even though they didn't need to keep humans alive to feed anymore. This had to be the augmentation she'd spoken of…a thing that could still keep them alive despite their physical decline. But without their feeding hands, this was the only way to get it into him. And if they could do that, they could make him an addict. No way was he going down that road. He had to get out of there.

But the Reliquiae were careful, only giving him enough enzyme to make him healthy enough to survive and get a taste for their medicine, not enough to give him uncontainable strength. The five females easily held him, looking down on him with cruel dispassion. There was nothing to appeal to…no one here who would help him.

The female leaned right in close to him, her teeth showing a hint of the sharpness of the Wraith maws he knew so well. 'Soon, Wraith Slayer, you will tell us all we need to know of Atlantis and its final hiding place. You will lead us to the answers we seek to rectify this cure your people cursed us with. And you will do it willingly.'

Another brief surge of cold liquid into his left arm left his brain reeling. Sheppard had no choice this time but to let the enzyme swarm his mind, scrambling his thoughts and setting his body alight until exhaustion and sensory overload mercifully claimed him.

A/N: Apologies if anything in this chapter doesn't flow so well. I've made a few changes but I am struggling with a ruptured eardrum at the moment and my tinnitus is driving me crazy, so concentration isn't easy while I'm trying to edit the story. I'm sorry I haven't replied to reviews received in the last few days. I will do so soon because they are all appreciated. All being well (or at least not getting worse!) I will still get the next chapter up on Monday. :)