The three of them stood, stunned. Trance stared with wide eyes, her mind racing furiously.
"What have you DONE to them???" Trance thought viciously.
Daedra quickly addressed the Guard. "Explain this!"
The guard paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "I was told to go find them... for the trial." He paused, waiting for acknowledgment. The First Elder nodded. "As I came upon them, the larger one sprung on me and started to attack. The smaller one joined in." Again he paused. Trance was hanging on his words, willing him to continue. "There was no way to stop them. I didn't have a choice. I had to defend myself."
"What are they saying?!" Dylan sounded livid.
"Tyr and Beka attacked that guard when he went to find them and take them to the trial. He had to defend himself." Trance avoided Dylan's eyes.
"Some defense he's got," Dylan muttered.
"You see?" Daedra was saying when Trance tuned back in to the kolg wave links. "This royal guard was simply protecting himself from attacks that he couldn't reason with. These creatures were in the same situation. We attacked them, and they fought back. Naturally."
"Trance! Are they dead? Ask if they're dead," Dylan was cutting into her concentration.
She waved him away. "I'm trying to listen!" Trance tuned in again quickly, afraid that she would miss something important.
"I still say we should kill them!"
"If we kill them, then we should kill the guard as well, if we follow the same morals for both cases!"
"Why don't we send some of our kind back with them?"
Most kolg fell silent.
The speaker continued: "I say we teach these creatures our culture, our history, and then send them off before the Green Blume engulfs the planet! We don't have to be lost in memory! We could become a part of history!"
The two Elders looked at each other, apparently speaking privately. Then the First Elder nodded. "That is the most valid idea we have heard yet. We shall teach these creatures of our ways. They will be our highly honored guests. Is that clear?" No one dared speak out to an Elder, so there was no objection.
"Daedra," Trance thought very hard. "My friends need medical attention."
"Yes, Trance. Of course. Respected Guard! Come!"
"Honors," the massive alien said as he strode forward through the dispersing crowds to the platform.
"Honors. Take the two that you now carry to Sage. They must be healed immediately."
"Yes, Second Elder." The guard hurried out of the cavern and disappeared down the main tunnel.
The cavern was nearly empty, when Trance finally let herself listen to Dylan again, who had been talking the entire time.
"Where is everyone going? Trance if you ignore me one more second... TRANCE! I'M YOUR CAPTAIN! You HAVE to listen to me! What-"
"Dylan," Trance cut in, turning towards him, "we are now the respected guests. They're taking Tyr and Beka to... whatever they do for medical attention." Suddenly she remembered something. She looked around wildly for a moment until she found Harper, sprawled out on the platform steps, still clearly unconscious.
"Daedra! Wait! What about Harper?" Trance pointed to him, stepping closer to him.
"Trance?" Dylan pulled at her outstretched arm. Trance's concentration was broken and she looked up irritably at her captain. "I don't think that these kolg can help him. He needs OUR medical technology.
"Well what do you want me to do then?" Trance snapped.
Dylan sighed. "Ask them to take us to Tyr and Beka. I don't trust these aliens yet."
Trance nodded and turned wearily to Daedra. "Could you take us to where our companions are being healed?"
"Of course. I'll take you myself."
"Thank you."
Daedra bowed her head slightly and stepped down the chiseled steps.
"Would you like me to carry this one?"
Trance turned, startled. The First Elder was standing somewhat behind her.
"Oh! Yes, thank you."
"Hey! Hey! Whoa! What does he think he's doing?" Dylan made a move for Harper as the Elder scooped him up.
"They're taking us to Tyr and Beka. The First Elder has offered to carry Harper for us. I don't think it would be wise to object."
"Trance's right," Rommie spoke finally after remaining silent for so long. "Let's just play along?" she spoke to Dylan as if it were a question. Dylan sighed, outnumbered.
The procession made their way down to the other end of the cavern, entered the main tunnel and turned left into a narrower one. This tunnel glowed faintly in a weak red color. Trance looked worriedly at Harper's limp body, his blond head bouncing off the Elder's back as it walked. Harper's skin did look blue, even under colored lighting. The corners of his lips were dark blue, as was the skin under his fingernails. The rest of his skin appeared pale and sickly. Trance hoped that they could cure him in time... before he- no. She couldn't think about that. If she had to watch him die again, she wouldn't be able to take it. He couldn't die on her. Not this time.
********************
When the group came to a small hollow at the end of the tunnel, they turned into it and halted. A small kolg was hunched over Beka, its hands overlapping each other, hovering an inch or so from Beka's chest. The group watched in awe as a blinding blast of light burst from the kolg's palms and seeped into Beka. Her body jerked and her back arched convulsively. As the light faded into her, her body fell limp again. No one seemed to breathe as they waited for something to happen. Trance almost jumped out of her skin as Beka gasped and yanked herself up. She grabbed her throat, sweat drenching her forehead, and she rasped and wheezed. She gripped her head as if to steady herself and then looked up. Her eyes seemed glazed over and unfocused as she stared at Dylan, Trance, Rommie, and the massive pair of kolg accompanying them. Her lip quivered and she crumpled over, sinking into shuddering, sickly sobs.
*******************
Sorry about the short chapter, but I'm really pressed for time right now. In two weeks or so I should be able to post another chapter. Please just sit tight. Again, sorry this entry is so short. R&R!
ECHO~
"What have you DONE to them???" Trance thought viciously.
Daedra quickly addressed the Guard. "Explain this!"
The guard paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "I was told to go find them... for the trial." He paused, waiting for acknowledgment. The First Elder nodded. "As I came upon them, the larger one sprung on me and started to attack. The smaller one joined in." Again he paused. Trance was hanging on his words, willing him to continue. "There was no way to stop them. I didn't have a choice. I had to defend myself."
"What are they saying?!" Dylan sounded livid.
"Tyr and Beka attacked that guard when he went to find them and take them to the trial. He had to defend himself." Trance avoided Dylan's eyes.
"Some defense he's got," Dylan muttered.
"You see?" Daedra was saying when Trance tuned back in to the kolg wave links. "This royal guard was simply protecting himself from attacks that he couldn't reason with. These creatures were in the same situation. We attacked them, and they fought back. Naturally."
"Trance! Are they dead? Ask if they're dead," Dylan was cutting into her concentration.
She waved him away. "I'm trying to listen!" Trance tuned in again quickly, afraid that she would miss something important.
"I still say we should kill them!"
"If we kill them, then we should kill the guard as well, if we follow the same morals for both cases!"
"Why don't we send some of our kind back with them?"
Most kolg fell silent.
The speaker continued: "I say we teach these creatures our culture, our history, and then send them off before the Green Blume engulfs the planet! We don't have to be lost in memory! We could become a part of history!"
The two Elders looked at each other, apparently speaking privately. Then the First Elder nodded. "That is the most valid idea we have heard yet. We shall teach these creatures of our ways. They will be our highly honored guests. Is that clear?" No one dared speak out to an Elder, so there was no objection.
"Daedra," Trance thought very hard. "My friends need medical attention."
"Yes, Trance. Of course. Respected Guard! Come!"
"Honors," the massive alien said as he strode forward through the dispersing crowds to the platform.
"Honors. Take the two that you now carry to Sage. They must be healed immediately."
"Yes, Second Elder." The guard hurried out of the cavern and disappeared down the main tunnel.
The cavern was nearly empty, when Trance finally let herself listen to Dylan again, who had been talking the entire time.
"Where is everyone going? Trance if you ignore me one more second... TRANCE! I'M YOUR CAPTAIN! You HAVE to listen to me! What-"
"Dylan," Trance cut in, turning towards him, "we are now the respected guests. They're taking Tyr and Beka to... whatever they do for medical attention." Suddenly she remembered something. She looked around wildly for a moment until she found Harper, sprawled out on the platform steps, still clearly unconscious.
"Daedra! Wait! What about Harper?" Trance pointed to him, stepping closer to him.
"Trance?" Dylan pulled at her outstretched arm. Trance's concentration was broken and she looked up irritably at her captain. "I don't think that these kolg can help him. He needs OUR medical technology.
"Well what do you want me to do then?" Trance snapped.
Dylan sighed. "Ask them to take us to Tyr and Beka. I don't trust these aliens yet."
Trance nodded and turned wearily to Daedra. "Could you take us to where our companions are being healed?"
"Of course. I'll take you myself."
"Thank you."
Daedra bowed her head slightly and stepped down the chiseled steps.
"Would you like me to carry this one?"
Trance turned, startled. The First Elder was standing somewhat behind her.
"Oh! Yes, thank you."
"Hey! Hey! Whoa! What does he think he's doing?" Dylan made a move for Harper as the Elder scooped him up.
"They're taking us to Tyr and Beka. The First Elder has offered to carry Harper for us. I don't think it would be wise to object."
"Trance's right," Rommie spoke finally after remaining silent for so long. "Let's just play along?" she spoke to Dylan as if it were a question. Dylan sighed, outnumbered.
The procession made their way down to the other end of the cavern, entered the main tunnel and turned left into a narrower one. This tunnel glowed faintly in a weak red color. Trance looked worriedly at Harper's limp body, his blond head bouncing off the Elder's back as it walked. Harper's skin did look blue, even under colored lighting. The corners of his lips were dark blue, as was the skin under his fingernails. The rest of his skin appeared pale and sickly. Trance hoped that they could cure him in time... before he- no. She couldn't think about that. If she had to watch him die again, she wouldn't be able to take it. He couldn't die on her. Not this time.
********************
When the group came to a small hollow at the end of the tunnel, they turned into it and halted. A small kolg was hunched over Beka, its hands overlapping each other, hovering an inch or so from Beka's chest. The group watched in awe as a blinding blast of light burst from the kolg's palms and seeped into Beka. Her body jerked and her back arched convulsively. As the light faded into her, her body fell limp again. No one seemed to breathe as they waited for something to happen. Trance almost jumped out of her skin as Beka gasped and yanked herself up. She grabbed her throat, sweat drenching her forehead, and she rasped and wheezed. She gripped her head as if to steady herself and then looked up. Her eyes seemed glazed over and unfocused as she stared at Dylan, Trance, Rommie, and the massive pair of kolg accompanying them. Her lip quivered and she crumpled over, sinking into shuddering, sickly sobs.
*******************
Sorry about the short chapter, but I'm really pressed for time right now. In two weeks or so I should be able to post another chapter. Please just sit tight. Again, sorry this entry is so short. R&R!
ECHO~