Part 37
Trance paused in her advance on the palace. She cocked her head almost as if listening to something. Her behavior did not escape Tyr's notice.
"What is it little girl? Do you hear something?" he asked.
"No, but I think we should go that way." She said pointing to the back of the palace where the gardens lay. "And I think we should hurry."
The others knew by now that even if they did not understand how she did it, it was usually best to follow her hunches. They quickly moved toward the direction Trance had indicated.
Dylan lay on his side in the grass. He was barely conscious. The guards stood over him taking turns kicking him. Every part of his body was bruised or bloody. Every time he managed to protect one part of his body from one guard, another would kick him from the other side. He managed to kick out at one of them and knock him to the ground. He tried crawling away but they quickly caught him. The biggest guard dragged Dylan up by the front of his shirt until they were face to face.
"I am still not sure how a piece of shit like you managed to kill Tourk. But you will pay for it now." He snarled.
"Sorry, I seem to have left all my credits in my other clothes." Dylan managed to say. "All I have at the moment is a gaudy medallion I grabbed off of Tourk before he died. You are more than welcome to it, it clashes with my eyes anyway."
The guard's eyes grew larger. "YOU have the sacred amulet of power?" he asked fearfully.
"Is that what it's called?" Dylan asked. "Humph, I thought that would have been bigger. But yes, I have it."
The other three guards began to shuffle their feet and look at each other uncertainly. They all knew that the amulet contained great power for the one strong enough to master it. The amulet was the only thing that kept Neffa from usurping Tourk's power long ago.
"Show it to me." The guard holding Dylan growled.
"You will have to let me go first, I can't reach it." Dylan answered.
"No tricks or you are dead." The guard said drawing his sword.
"Actually, you are the one who is going to die." A loud voice said from behind them.
Dylan dove behind a nearby tree as his crew began firing on the guards. The fight lasted only a few brief minutes. As soon as the gunfire stopped, Dylan came out from behind the tree.
"Dylan!" Trance called and ran forward to hug her lost friend. Harper and Rommie followed close behind.
"You, sir, look like hell." Tyr said as he too came forward.
"Thanks, I missed you too." Dylan said sarcastically. He stepped up and clasped hands with the large Nietzschean.
"But what about Beka? Where is she?" Harper suddenly asked.
"She is in a lot of trouble. We have to hurry. Neffa took her to the pit where the challenge took place. She is going to try to complete that 'Giving' ceremony everyone here keeps talking about. She is going to kill Beka." Dylan said quickly as he bent down to pick up one of the swords from the guards. Rommie took the sword from him and handed him a forcelance.
"I thought you might feel more comfortable with this." She said quietly. He smiled softly and nodded his thanks.
"But Dylan, how does Neffa expect to perform the ceremony? I already told you she has to have an innocents' blood to complete it."
"She has Beka and Beka has what she needs." Dylan said with a dark look. He started to move forward without any further explanation.
"Did any of you understand that?" Harper asked.
"I hope I didn't." Trance said before following Dylan.
The others exchanged looks. They turned to follow their Captain; each one dreading what would happen if they arrived too late to save the first officer of the Andromeda.
Beka regained her awareness slowly. She could tell she was laying on a wooden surface but had no idea where she was. She was most aware of the pain in her head.
'I know I have a hard head,' she thought, 'but does everyone have to try to crack it?'
She suddenly remembered what had happened before she was knocked out. She tried to sit up only to find she was bound and unable to move.
"Oh good, you are awake. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the monumental event." Neffa called. "After all, it isn't everyday that you get to break a thousand year old curse and witness the resurrection of the Gods. I am sure you are anxious to get started."
"Not particularly." Beka said. "My appointment book is pretty full. I can maybe pencil you in for the day after hell freezes over."
"I like you." Neffa laughed. "You are very brave Beka. At this point all of the other women were hysterical or had passed out in fright. It is a pity really that I have to kill you. Still it is your own fault. If you had just cooperated until the baby was born, I wouldn't have to do this the hard way."
"You don't have to this at all Neffa." Beka pleaded. "Let us help you find another way to save your people."
"There is no other way. If there were, don't you think we would have discovered it in nearly one thousand years of trying?"
"But you don't even know that this will work." Beka tried to reason. "You have failed so many times already."
"That is because the others were not the ones spoken of in the prophecy. But you are the one Beka, I am sure of it."
"Please don't do this Neffa." Beka pleaded.
"Now just hold still and it will be over quickly," Neffa said. She raised a dagger over Beka's abdomen and began chanting.
Trance paused in her advance on the palace. She cocked her head almost as if listening to something. Her behavior did not escape Tyr's notice.
"What is it little girl? Do you hear something?" he asked.
"No, but I think we should go that way." She said pointing to the back of the palace where the gardens lay. "And I think we should hurry."
The others knew by now that even if they did not understand how she did it, it was usually best to follow her hunches. They quickly moved toward the direction Trance had indicated.
Dylan lay on his side in the grass. He was barely conscious. The guards stood over him taking turns kicking him. Every part of his body was bruised or bloody. Every time he managed to protect one part of his body from one guard, another would kick him from the other side. He managed to kick out at one of them and knock him to the ground. He tried crawling away but they quickly caught him. The biggest guard dragged Dylan up by the front of his shirt until they were face to face.
"I am still not sure how a piece of shit like you managed to kill Tourk. But you will pay for it now." He snarled.
"Sorry, I seem to have left all my credits in my other clothes." Dylan managed to say. "All I have at the moment is a gaudy medallion I grabbed off of Tourk before he died. You are more than welcome to it, it clashes with my eyes anyway."
The guard's eyes grew larger. "YOU have the sacred amulet of power?" he asked fearfully.
"Is that what it's called?" Dylan asked. "Humph, I thought that would have been bigger. But yes, I have it."
The other three guards began to shuffle their feet and look at each other uncertainly. They all knew that the amulet contained great power for the one strong enough to master it. The amulet was the only thing that kept Neffa from usurping Tourk's power long ago.
"Show it to me." The guard holding Dylan growled.
"You will have to let me go first, I can't reach it." Dylan answered.
"No tricks or you are dead." The guard said drawing his sword.
"Actually, you are the one who is going to die." A loud voice said from behind them.
Dylan dove behind a nearby tree as his crew began firing on the guards. The fight lasted only a few brief minutes. As soon as the gunfire stopped, Dylan came out from behind the tree.
"Dylan!" Trance called and ran forward to hug her lost friend. Harper and Rommie followed close behind.
"You, sir, look like hell." Tyr said as he too came forward.
"Thanks, I missed you too." Dylan said sarcastically. He stepped up and clasped hands with the large Nietzschean.
"But what about Beka? Where is she?" Harper suddenly asked.
"She is in a lot of trouble. We have to hurry. Neffa took her to the pit where the challenge took place. She is going to try to complete that 'Giving' ceremony everyone here keeps talking about. She is going to kill Beka." Dylan said quickly as he bent down to pick up one of the swords from the guards. Rommie took the sword from him and handed him a forcelance.
"I thought you might feel more comfortable with this." She said quietly. He smiled softly and nodded his thanks.
"But Dylan, how does Neffa expect to perform the ceremony? I already told you she has to have an innocents' blood to complete it."
"She has Beka and Beka has what she needs." Dylan said with a dark look. He started to move forward without any further explanation.
"Did any of you understand that?" Harper asked.
"I hope I didn't." Trance said before following Dylan.
The others exchanged looks. They turned to follow their Captain; each one dreading what would happen if they arrived too late to save the first officer of the Andromeda.
Beka regained her awareness slowly. She could tell she was laying on a wooden surface but had no idea where she was. She was most aware of the pain in her head.
'I know I have a hard head,' she thought, 'but does everyone have to try to crack it?'
She suddenly remembered what had happened before she was knocked out. She tried to sit up only to find she was bound and unable to move.
"Oh good, you are awake. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the monumental event." Neffa called. "After all, it isn't everyday that you get to break a thousand year old curse and witness the resurrection of the Gods. I am sure you are anxious to get started."
"Not particularly." Beka said. "My appointment book is pretty full. I can maybe pencil you in for the day after hell freezes over."
"I like you." Neffa laughed. "You are very brave Beka. At this point all of the other women were hysterical or had passed out in fright. It is a pity really that I have to kill you. Still it is your own fault. If you had just cooperated until the baby was born, I wouldn't have to do this the hard way."
"You don't have to this at all Neffa." Beka pleaded. "Let us help you find another way to save your people."
"There is no other way. If there were, don't you think we would have discovered it in nearly one thousand years of trying?"
"But you don't even know that this will work." Beka tried to reason. "You have failed so many times already."
"That is because the others were not the ones spoken of in the prophecy. But you are the one Beka, I am sure of it."
"Please don't do this Neffa." Beka pleaded.
"Now just hold still and it will be over quickly," Neffa said. She raised a dagger over Beka's abdomen and began chanting.