The Giving-part 15
Disclaimer in part 1
Beka wasn't aware of how long she sat on the dining hall floor. Time seemed to have stopped for her. All she was aware of was Tourk's words echoing in her mind.
'My brave, beautiful Beka. Perhaps you are not so different from the others. They all said the same thing. But they were unable to stop me, as you will be unable to. You cannot fight your destiny. We will be bonded at sunset today. And then tonight we shall begin making the next part of the prophecy a reality.'
'We will be bonded at sunset today. And then tonight we shall begin making the next part of the prophecy a reality.'
"Like Hell we will!" she exclaimed finally coming out of her reverie. She ran to the door and began pounding on it. One of the guards opened the door but before she could try any form of escape, Reenia and Neffa entered.
"Come Lady, we must start preparing you for tonight's bonding ceremony. We have only a few hours until sunset." Reenia stated.
"Look, I hate to spoil your fun but I am not really the marrying type. I can't cook or clean. I snore loudly and steal all the blankets. I am sure your 'God' deserves someone much better than me. So why don't we just call this off and part as friends?"
"I am afraid not my Lady. You will bond with Lord Tourk tonight at sunset." Neffa said adding, "One way or another."
"I am not bonding with that man or anybody else, thank you very much." Beka tried to push her way past the two women but the guards barred her way.
"I am afraid you have no choice." Neffa said. "Our people must be saved and you are the only one available to do the job. So many others have failed and our time is nearly up. You will join with Tourk to create the child that is necessary for us to regain our magic. Once we have our magic back, our females will once again be able to conceive children and our race shall continue."
"You said others have failed. How many times have you forced unwilling women to be subjected to this horror? Beka asked though she was unsure if she truly wanted to know the answer.
"Lord Tourk recovered the power of the amulet that allows him to bring space travelers down to our world about one hundred and fifty years ago. We have attempted to break the curse many dozens of times since but each has failed. This time we shall succeed. I am sure of it." The old women responded.
Beka felt sick to her stomach. The words 'many dozens of times' screamed repeatedly in her brain. She thought for a moment she would pass out.
"You people are monsters! How could you kill dozens of innocent babies? And the mothers, what did you do to them?"
"When we realized they were not the Goddess from our prophecy we had no choice but to kill them." Reenia said as calmly as if she were talking of the weather.
Beka began to laugh almost hysterically.
"You are insane. You won't get away with this. My friends will come for me."
"Your friends, if they do come, will never even get as far as the village before they are stopped. And even if they should make it to the village, without horses they will never get here to the palace before sunset."
Grasping at straws Beka asked, "How can you even believe this prophecy? How could some silly words spoken by a silly medicine woman a thousand years ago possibly be accurate?"
"Those 'silly words' were spoken and made truth by magic. And that 'silly medicine woman' was me." Neffa said sharply. "Enough of this. We must get you ready for the ceremony." Turning on her heel she strode from the room. Reenia gave Beka a little shove towards the door. Having no choice with the guards watching, Beka slowly followed her out the door.
The pod landed in an open field. They had chosen the location because it was hidden behind a dense copse of trees not far from the rear wall of the palace.
"It shouldn't take us more than an hour to reach the palace." Tyr said. "I suggest we wait until dark before moving any closer."
"We don't have the time to wait. We have to get as close as we can now so we can be ready for whatever is going to happen."
"And exactly what do you think is going to happen in the next few hours that warrants exposing ourselves to possible capture?"
"I am not sure exactly." Dylan answered honestly. "But I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen soon."
"A bad feeling?" Tyr repeated with what could almost pass as a smile. "You have been spending too much time with the purple girl. Her bad habits are starting to show on you as well."
"Perhaps, but considering how many times Trance's 'feelings' have saved my life, and yours, I am not going to complain."
"Point conceded." Tyr said dryly. "Shall we go then?"
"We shall." Dylan said turning and walking toward the palace.
'Hang on Beka, we're coming.' He thought as they left the landing site.
Disclaimer in part 1
Beka wasn't aware of how long she sat on the dining hall floor. Time seemed to have stopped for her. All she was aware of was Tourk's words echoing in her mind.
'My brave, beautiful Beka. Perhaps you are not so different from the others. They all said the same thing. But they were unable to stop me, as you will be unable to. You cannot fight your destiny. We will be bonded at sunset today. And then tonight we shall begin making the next part of the prophecy a reality.'
'We will be bonded at sunset today. And then tonight we shall begin making the next part of the prophecy a reality.'
"Like Hell we will!" she exclaimed finally coming out of her reverie. She ran to the door and began pounding on it. One of the guards opened the door but before she could try any form of escape, Reenia and Neffa entered.
"Come Lady, we must start preparing you for tonight's bonding ceremony. We have only a few hours until sunset." Reenia stated.
"Look, I hate to spoil your fun but I am not really the marrying type. I can't cook or clean. I snore loudly and steal all the blankets. I am sure your 'God' deserves someone much better than me. So why don't we just call this off and part as friends?"
"I am afraid not my Lady. You will bond with Lord Tourk tonight at sunset." Neffa said adding, "One way or another."
"I am not bonding with that man or anybody else, thank you very much." Beka tried to push her way past the two women but the guards barred her way.
"I am afraid you have no choice." Neffa said. "Our people must be saved and you are the only one available to do the job. So many others have failed and our time is nearly up. You will join with Tourk to create the child that is necessary for us to regain our magic. Once we have our magic back, our females will once again be able to conceive children and our race shall continue."
"You said others have failed. How many times have you forced unwilling women to be subjected to this horror? Beka asked though she was unsure if she truly wanted to know the answer.
"Lord Tourk recovered the power of the amulet that allows him to bring space travelers down to our world about one hundred and fifty years ago. We have attempted to break the curse many dozens of times since but each has failed. This time we shall succeed. I am sure of it." The old women responded.
Beka felt sick to her stomach. The words 'many dozens of times' screamed repeatedly in her brain. She thought for a moment she would pass out.
"You people are monsters! How could you kill dozens of innocent babies? And the mothers, what did you do to them?"
"When we realized they were not the Goddess from our prophecy we had no choice but to kill them." Reenia said as calmly as if she were talking of the weather.
Beka began to laugh almost hysterically.
"You are insane. You won't get away with this. My friends will come for me."
"Your friends, if they do come, will never even get as far as the village before they are stopped. And even if they should make it to the village, without horses they will never get here to the palace before sunset."
Grasping at straws Beka asked, "How can you even believe this prophecy? How could some silly words spoken by a silly medicine woman a thousand years ago possibly be accurate?"
"Those 'silly words' were spoken and made truth by magic. And that 'silly medicine woman' was me." Neffa said sharply. "Enough of this. We must get you ready for the ceremony." Turning on her heel she strode from the room. Reenia gave Beka a little shove towards the door. Having no choice with the guards watching, Beka slowly followed her out the door.
The pod landed in an open field. They had chosen the location because it was hidden behind a dense copse of trees not far from the rear wall of the palace.
"It shouldn't take us more than an hour to reach the palace." Tyr said. "I suggest we wait until dark before moving any closer."
"We don't have the time to wait. We have to get as close as we can now so we can be ready for whatever is going to happen."
"And exactly what do you think is going to happen in the next few hours that warrants exposing ourselves to possible capture?"
"I am not sure exactly." Dylan answered honestly. "But I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen soon."
"A bad feeling?" Tyr repeated with what could almost pass as a smile. "You have been spending too much time with the purple girl. Her bad habits are starting to show on you as well."
"Perhaps, but considering how many times Trance's 'feelings' have saved my life, and yours, I am not going to complain."
"Point conceded." Tyr said dryly. "Shall we go then?"
"We shall." Dylan said turning and walking toward the palace.
'Hang on Beka, we're coming.' He thought as they left the landing site.