Birthright: Chapter 14
Chapter 14
A bright light.
A sudden warmness enveloped him.
A cool breeze.
Laughter.
Keith looked around as he stood in the middle a vacant field. Grass growing as high as his waist.
The laughter came again.
He quickly turned around seeing a family, playing in this large field. Their laughter seemed to fill the very air.
The young mother held a little boys hand in one of her own, as the young father held his other hand. On top of his shoulders, there was young girl, laughing as the two parents swung the little boy as they walked.
It was the scene of a picture perfect family. A loving mother; a loving father; and as he focused his attention even more on the family, the more they seemed to start to fade away. He had the very urge to run toward them, to talk to them, but as he started toward them, they were gone, and only the echoes of their laughter filled the air.
He's coming around.
Keith slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with sudden darkness once again. He quickly closed them, the reopened them and soon, it started to clear.
-Slowly, I nearly had to bring you back from the dead.-
He was then helped into a sitting posture as a small bowl was pressed to his lips. Sudden cold, yet awful tasting liquid filled his mouth and was forced to swallow the putrid concoction.
Now that his vision was totally cleared, he looked around seeing that Anala was standing near him, as a strange man looked him over. He had to look at this man twice before realizing that there something awfully familiar with him.
"How do you feel?" Anala asked him as he she came to kneel next to him.
"Sore in places that I didn t think possible could be hurt," he said. "Where's Allura?"
Anala pointed in a direction, and not far from where they were, Allura was lying, with her head propped up on a make shift pillow. "She's still out," she said. "Your two lions are over there, but they won t let us get into them. We were figuring at least a first aid kit might be aboard them."
He saw the lions in the distance. Looks like they survived their fall, and were sitting on their haunches, waiting for their pilots.
-Milady, if you please, I will check on the princess,- the man said to her. If you could just give him the rest of this, the pain will soon go away.-
"Thank you, Xue," she said.
Keith watched as he walked toward Allura and then turn to Anala with questioning in his eyes.
"Its too long to explain," she said. Mother and your friends have been captured. "My last correspondence with Lotor said that once the arena was destroyed, Kelar's forces took them prisoner. He was later captured."
"You were in contact with Lotor?" Keith asked.
"Yes," she said as she pulled out a small device from her satchel on her waist. "Its been dead since his forces were captured."
Keith shook his head. "Not good," he said. "He would have been our only chance to get to Kelar."
Anala nodded. "Xue and I have been working on another approach, she said. It means however, that we have to go without the lions."
"Why?"
"How do you propose on us sneaking into the Castle with those ships?"
"You have a point," he said as he breathed in deeply. He then winced.
Anala reacted as she pulled him forward. She then saw the rips in his uniform as she stared at him.
"How does your back feel?" she asked.
"Like someone took a whip and lashed at me for 20 minutes," he said.
"You tried it didn't you?" she asked.
"Tried what?"
"Your wings," she stated.
"What else could have I done?" he asked. "We were about to fall from a ledge."
"I understand," she said as she then had him lean forward. She placed her hand against his back. "Just that you've never used them before, and usually with first timers, you wouldn't be able to handle extra weight."
"Which is why I took a crash land on my first time."
"You nearly killed yourself," she said as she looked over his back. "Luckily we happened by."
"What are you two doing down here anyway?"
"Who do you think destroyed the arena?" she asked.
Keith slowly nodded as he felt a sudden twinge in his back. He then looked up at her as she smiled.
"That should ease the pain," she said.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"A little technique I learned when I first learned to fly," she said. "It eases the pain."
"Is there anything else I need to know about our strange little family?" he asked.
She smiled. "Nothing I can think of right now," she said. Her expression then changed. "Keith, how do you truly feel about all of this? I know that this is all happening so fast."
"It's a lot to take in," he said. "For anyone, it would be."
"What do you plan to do after all of this?" she asked.
He saw in her eyes her concern. Something that he was thinking about as well, but never really put much into it.
"I don't even know," he said. "I don t even know what I am supposed to do."
-Milady, sir-
Anala and Keith looked toward where Xue was tending to Allura . She too was coming out of her own sleep. Anala helped Keith to his feet and they walked over to where they were.
"Keith!" Allura said as she quickly sat up. She then groaned as she placed her hand to her head to shake the sudden dizziness she felt.
"Hey, its alright," he said as he kneeled next to her. "You okay?"
-She has a slight concussion,- Xue stated. If you have a medi kit aboard your lions, I suggest a compress to ease the pain.-
"We have one in Blue Lion," Keith said. "Anala, here, take this, and the lion should let you in. Its in the forward compartment."
Keith slowly handed her his key and with a nod she ran toward the Blue Lion in the distance.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Allura slowly nodded as she opened her eyes again. "What happened?"
"We fell," he simply stated. "I braced the fall, but we both got knocked out."
"Fell?" Allura asked. She then realized that the distance they must have fallen was quite considerable. "But..."
Keith placed a finger to her lips. "In due time, I'll explain," he said. "For now, we have to figure out what we are going to do next. Our friends have been captured, and Lotor as well. "
-There are many secret entrances into the castle that I can show you,- Xue said as he turned to them. But none will be big enough so that your lions can go undetected.-
"Then we ll just have to leave them here."
-Kelar has probably started his own engineers examining your friends lions,-he added. He s determined to see how they work.-
"He wont get too far," Allura said as she breathed in deeply. "Without our keys, he has no way of getting access to any part of the Voltron Lions."
-If that is so, highness, he will have them destroyed,- Xue said. I suggest that we hurry.-
Anala then joined them as she handed Keith the medi kit.
"So what is our plan?" she asked.
"Is there anything in these old caverns that would help us?" Keith asked as he helped Allura with her concussion.
-The old castle has an old storage area,- Xue said. Its back that way. We first will have to go through the old crypt. It s a short walk.-
"Maybe we can find some weapons to use," Keith suggested. "Allura, do you think you can handle some walking."
"If we take a bit slow," she said. "I'm fine."
"Let's get going."
Alysson stood quietly as she stared out of the bay window, overlooking the dark landscape before her. So many things were running through her mind. And all that she could see right now, was total despair.
"You're awfully quiet."
Alysson didn t bother to turn around as she continued to stare out of the window.
"I don t have much to say considering you ve taken everything I hold valuable to me away," she said.
"I'd figure then, you d have plenty to say," Kelar said as he neared her. "You were pretty vocal earlier."
She turned to him and watched as he poured himself a glass of wine. "What do you want me to say, Kelar?" she asked as her eyes narrowed. "Or what you rather like me to say?"
"Say what you will, princess," he said. He then smiled. "Not that it matters. Once your daughter is found, I will see that she is put to death for treason."
"You wouldn't."
"I would so," he said as he looked to her. "I can't have anyone under me, think that they will unseat me."
He then walked up to her as he took a sip from his glass.
"And what is the point of keeping me alive? she asked. "All I would ever do is to see that you are removed from that pedestal you put yourself on."
"You my dear, I have other plans for," he said. "And it could also mean that your daughter s life will be saved, if you decide to cooperate."
"Cooperate?"
"You, technically are still in rule here," he said. "A technicality I want to see changed. Since the people here do not think you are alive, its more than fitting to let you relinquish your rule over to me."
"My rule?" she asked.
"It's your decision, princess," he said as he walked away from her. "And just to give you a time frame...you have until the capture of your daughter to decide."
Alysson could only stare at him as he sipped the rest of his wine, and walked out of the room. She was the overcome with grief as she fell to her knees and cried.
Chapter 14
A bright light.
A sudden warmness enveloped him.
A cool breeze.
Laughter.
Keith looked around as he stood in the middle a vacant field. Grass growing as high as his waist.
The laughter came again.
He quickly turned around seeing a family, playing in this large field. Their laughter seemed to fill the very air.
The young mother held a little boys hand in one of her own, as the young father held his other hand. On top of his shoulders, there was young girl, laughing as the two parents swung the little boy as they walked.
It was the scene of a picture perfect family. A loving mother; a loving father; and as he focused his attention even more on the family, the more they seemed to start to fade away. He had the very urge to run toward them, to talk to them, but as he started toward them, they were gone, and only the echoes of their laughter filled the air.
He's coming around.
Keith slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with sudden darkness once again. He quickly closed them, the reopened them and soon, it started to clear.
-Slowly, I nearly had to bring you back from the dead.-
He was then helped into a sitting posture as a small bowl was pressed to his lips. Sudden cold, yet awful tasting liquid filled his mouth and was forced to swallow the putrid concoction.
Now that his vision was totally cleared, he looked around seeing that Anala was standing near him, as a strange man looked him over. He had to look at this man twice before realizing that there something awfully familiar with him.
"How do you feel?" Anala asked him as he she came to kneel next to him.
"Sore in places that I didn t think possible could be hurt," he said. "Where's Allura?"
Anala pointed in a direction, and not far from where they were, Allura was lying, with her head propped up on a make shift pillow. "She's still out," she said. "Your two lions are over there, but they won t let us get into them. We were figuring at least a first aid kit might be aboard them."
He saw the lions in the distance. Looks like they survived their fall, and were sitting on their haunches, waiting for their pilots.
-Milady, if you please, I will check on the princess,- the man said to her. If you could just give him the rest of this, the pain will soon go away.-
"Thank you, Xue," she said.
Keith watched as he walked toward Allura and then turn to Anala with questioning in his eyes.
"Its too long to explain," she said. Mother and your friends have been captured. "My last correspondence with Lotor said that once the arena was destroyed, Kelar's forces took them prisoner. He was later captured."
"You were in contact with Lotor?" Keith asked.
"Yes," she said as she pulled out a small device from her satchel on her waist. "Its been dead since his forces were captured."
Keith shook his head. "Not good," he said. "He would have been our only chance to get to Kelar."
Anala nodded. "Xue and I have been working on another approach, she said. It means however, that we have to go without the lions."
"Why?"
"How do you propose on us sneaking into the Castle with those ships?"
"You have a point," he said as he breathed in deeply. He then winced.
Anala reacted as she pulled him forward. She then saw the rips in his uniform as she stared at him.
"How does your back feel?" she asked.
"Like someone took a whip and lashed at me for 20 minutes," he said.
"You tried it didn't you?" she asked.
"Tried what?"
"Your wings," she stated.
"What else could have I done?" he asked. "We were about to fall from a ledge."
"I understand," she said as she then had him lean forward. She placed her hand against his back. "Just that you've never used them before, and usually with first timers, you wouldn't be able to handle extra weight."
"Which is why I took a crash land on my first time."
"You nearly killed yourself," she said as she looked over his back. "Luckily we happened by."
"What are you two doing down here anyway?"
"Who do you think destroyed the arena?" she asked.
Keith slowly nodded as he felt a sudden twinge in his back. He then looked up at her as she smiled.
"That should ease the pain," she said.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"A little technique I learned when I first learned to fly," she said. "It eases the pain."
"Is there anything else I need to know about our strange little family?" he asked.
She smiled. "Nothing I can think of right now," she said. Her expression then changed. "Keith, how do you truly feel about all of this? I know that this is all happening so fast."
"It's a lot to take in," he said. "For anyone, it would be."
"What do you plan to do after all of this?" she asked.
He saw in her eyes her concern. Something that he was thinking about as well, but never really put much into it.
"I don't even know," he said. "I don t even know what I am supposed to do."
-Milady, sir-
Anala and Keith looked toward where Xue was tending to Allura . She too was coming out of her own sleep. Anala helped Keith to his feet and they walked over to where they were.
"Keith!" Allura said as she quickly sat up. She then groaned as she placed her hand to her head to shake the sudden dizziness she felt.
"Hey, its alright," he said as he kneeled next to her. "You okay?"
-She has a slight concussion,- Xue stated. If you have a medi kit aboard your lions, I suggest a compress to ease the pain.-
"We have one in Blue Lion," Keith said. "Anala, here, take this, and the lion should let you in. Its in the forward compartment."
Keith slowly handed her his key and with a nod she ran toward the Blue Lion in the distance.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Allura slowly nodded as she opened her eyes again. "What happened?"
"We fell," he simply stated. "I braced the fall, but we both got knocked out."
"Fell?" Allura asked. She then realized that the distance they must have fallen was quite considerable. "But..."
Keith placed a finger to her lips. "In due time, I'll explain," he said. "For now, we have to figure out what we are going to do next. Our friends have been captured, and Lotor as well. "
-There are many secret entrances into the castle that I can show you,- Xue said as he turned to them. But none will be big enough so that your lions can go undetected.-
"Then we ll just have to leave them here."
-Kelar has probably started his own engineers examining your friends lions,-he added. He s determined to see how they work.-
"He wont get too far," Allura said as she breathed in deeply. "Without our keys, he has no way of getting access to any part of the Voltron Lions."
-If that is so, highness, he will have them destroyed,- Xue said. I suggest that we hurry.-
Anala then joined them as she handed Keith the medi kit.
"So what is our plan?" she asked.
"Is there anything in these old caverns that would help us?" Keith asked as he helped Allura with her concussion.
-The old castle has an old storage area,- Xue said. Its back that way. We first will have to go through the old crypt. It s a short walk.-
"Maybe we can find some weapons to use," Keith suggested. "Allura, do you think you can handle some walking."
"If we take a bit slow," she said. "I'm fine."
"Let's get going."
Alysson stood quietly as she stared out of the bay window, overlooking the dark landscape before her. So many things were running through her mind. And all that she could see right now, was total despair.
"You're awfully quiet."
Alysson didn t bother to turn around as she continued to stare out of the window.
"I don t have much to say considering you ve taken everything I hold valuable to me away," she said.
"I'd figure then, you d have plenty to say," Kelar said as he neared her. "You were pretty vocal earlier."
She turned to him and watched as he poured himself a glass of wine. "What do you want me to say, Kelar?" she asked as her eyes narrowed. "Or what you rather like me to say?"
"Say what you will, princess," he said. He then smiled. "Not that it matters. Once your daughter is found, I will see that she is put to death for treason."
"You wouldn't."
"I would so," he said as he looked to her. "I can't have anyone under me, think that they will unseat me."
He then walked up to her as he took a sip from his glass.
"And what is the point of keeping me alive? she asked. "All I would ever do is to see that you are removed from that pedestal you put yourself on."
"You my dear, I have other plans for," he said. "And it could also mean that your daughter s life will be saved, if you decide to cooperate."
"Cooperate?"
"You, technically are still in rule here," he said. "A technicality I want to see changed. Since the people here do not think you are alive, its more than fitting to let you relinquish your rule over to me."
"My rule?" she asked.
"It's your decision, princess," he said as he walked away from her. "And just to give you a time frame...you have until the capture of your daughter to decide."
Alysson could only stare at him as he sipped the rest of his wine, and walked out of the room. She was the overcome with grief as she fell to her knees and cried.