Author's Note-Is there someone wanting to kill me now for that last
chapter? Or this one maybe?
******
Ardeth was breathing heavily as he now lay sprawled in the sand. He could feel the blood flow freely from the several wounds now covering his back. Altaram was laughing at this scene as was Tarnay.
"I never thought it would be this easy to bring down the mighty Ardeth Bay. Now will you tell me what significance the woman is to you?" he said.
"Never. I won't let you harm her further," gasped Ardeth as he tried to climb to his feet.
Altaram snapped the whip again, hitting Ardeth's back which caused him to fall back down to the sand.
"I will harm her whether you tell me anything or not. I saw her with the Spire and she knows how to use it," he replied.
He walked over to Ardeth and roughly picked him up by his collar.
"I will torture you until you tell me what her importance is to you or until you're dead. Whichever comes first," Altaram told him quietly.
"Then you shall end up killing me for I will never tell you," Ardeth replied, spitting in his face.
The man dropped Ardeth and wiped the saliva from his face.
"You will pay for that. Keep him on his stomach," came the order.
Ardeth resisted very little as he felt hands keep his arms and legs pinned to the ground, his back still exposed to the air. Pain soon overtook Ardeth as he felt one last crack of the whip hit his already painful back. He cried out in pain.
"Take him back to the other two. I'll deal with him again later," Altaram ordered the guards, putting the whip back where he found it.
Ardeth was taken back to the tent where Catlanda and Marok impatiently waited. He was thrown inside in a heap.
The two gaped wide-eyed at his back.
"Oh no, Ardeth!" she cried as she hurried over to him.
The two looked over his obviously sore back. The blood still continued to flow free from the many wounds.
"If I only had the Spire. We could get out of here and get him help," Catlanda said, her head drooping.
"It's not your fault Cat. Right now, let's do what we can for Ardeth," Marok assured her.
***
Isis stopped at the top of a sand dune with Rick stopping right behind her. In the distance, they saw what looked to be like a village.
"Great work Isis. That's probably where those three are. I just hope that we make it in time to help Ardeth. He must be in terrible shape by now," Rick said, lifting his arm.
In his hand was the Spire.
"And I've got to get this back to Catty," he whispered.
The two hurried towards the buildings in the distance, hoping they could find their friends.
***
Tarnay ran into the tent to see Altaram sitting on the bed. He looked her way.
"What's wrong?" he asked, climbing to his feet.
"There's someone coming this way on a camel. He's probably here to rescue Ardeth and those other two," she replied.
He stood up and headed over to the opening. From there, he saw a figure slowing coming in their direction.
"It looks like we're going to have company. I feel obligated to welcome our guest," Altaram snickered, heading back inside the tent.
He grabbed his sword and walked out of the tent again.
Tarnay watched him go.
"I have to congratulate this man for his bravery. He's going to give his life for his friends," she said before following him.
***
Catlanda held Ardeth's head on his lap as Marok tore pieces of his robe off to cover the wounds. She even ripped some pieces off hers and laid it on the painful wounds. She gazed over him. What she saw was a great leader brought down to nothing. His once shining hair was now limp and stuck to his face from sweat and his face looked like that of a sleeping child. They both noticed his heavy breathing.
"I wish I didn't have to see him like this Marok," she told him.
"I don't either but neither one of us can help the fact that he was struck with a whip. This must be so painful," he replied as he wiped away some blood.
At that moment, Ardeth groaned. He lifted himself to a sitting position and put a hand up to his head. He blankly looked at them both.
"Ardeth, how're you feeling?" asked Marok, a hand gently on his back.
"I'm not sure. It hurts all over," he quietly replied.
"Father, I worry for your safety. Please don't get yourself killed because of me," Catlanda pleaded of him.
Ardeth looked at the sad eyes before him. He put a hand on her shoulder as she unconsciously grabbed at something invisble beside her.
"Catlanda, you need to know something. I made a promise to your real father just after you were born. I gave him my word that no harm would come to you if anything should happen to him. That I would not let anything happen to you. I don't intend on breaking it now after all these years," Ardeth explained to her beofer wincing in pain.
"You'd rather die than see me harmed by the hands of these enemies," she said, looking away from him.
Ardeth put an arm around her and nodded.
'But if you only knew the nature if this evil,' Ardeth told himself before a look of pain swpet across his face.
He slumped forward into their arms. They lowered him to his stomach. They both saw he was unconscious again.
"He's lost too much blood. From this and the slash wound he received before coming here. And the concussion as well. I don't think he's going to make it this time if we don't get him help right away," Marok told her with a solemn look.
Catlanda looked devestated at this.
"No," she said, shaking her head as she hugged her father.
***
Rick neared the camp as a man walked out of it. He stopped the camel as did Isis, who growled.
"My name is Altaram, leader of this tribe. What is your business here?" the man called out to him.
"I'm looking for some friends of mine. Two men and one woman. Do you know where are they?" Rick called out to him.
"I'm sorry, we have not seen them," the man replied.
Rick neared the camel to the village before climbing off. As he did, he noticed the Spire was emitting a small glow. He was curious on why it did that until it came to him. He faced Altaram.
"How come I don't believe you?" Rick posed him.
"Why would you not believe my word? I tell you the truth. Nobody here has seen them," the man replied.
"I hate to disappoint you but I have my ways of knowing and I say they are here. Now where are they?" Rick demanded, a smile on his face the entire time.
"And what is this way?" wondered Altaram, concern creeping into his voice.
"I'm not telling you bub until you answer my question first. Where are they?" Rick angrily replied.
Altaram snarled.
"You're in cahoots with them. You will die before find them," he yelled.
Rick barely had time to register what was going on as the man charged at him with a sword.
***
Sharak noticed the village in the distance and hurried towards it.
"What's this? A village all the way out here? This wasn't here before," he quietly told himself along the way.
He soon came to it and saw Rick being charged at by the man. Sharak's eyes widened as he watched the scene play out.
Rick ran back to the camel and grabbed the Spire, holding it out as a weapon to defend himself.
"The Spire! You have it! Give it to me!" Altaram ordered.
"Let me think here...no. What makes you think I'm going to do a stupid thing like that? Especially since you don't know how to use and the one who does isn't here?" Rick sarcastically wondered.
"I lied. She is here and she always will be. If she does leave, she won't be breathing," he replied.
TBC...
******
Ardeth was breathing heavily as he now lay sprawled in the sand. He could feel the blood flow freely from the several wounds now covering his back. Altaram was laughing at this scene as was Tarnay.
"I never thought it would be this easy to bring down the mighty Ardeth Bay. Now will you tell me what significance the woman is to you?" he said.
"Never. I won't let you harm her further," gasped Ardeth as he tried to climb to his feet.
Altaram snapped the whip again, hitting Ardeth's back which caused him to fall back down to the sand.
"I will harm her whether you tell me anything or not. I saw her with the Spire and she knows how to use it," he replied.
He walked over to Ardeth and roughly picked him up by his collar.
"I will torture you until you tell me what her importance is to you or until you're dead. Whichever comes first," Altaram told him quietly.
"Then you shall end up killing me for I will never tell you," Ardeth replied, spitting in his face.
The man dropped Ardeth and wiped the saliva from his face.
"You will pay for that. Keep him on his stomach," came the order.
Ardeth resisted very little as he felt hands keep his arms and legs pinned to the ground, his back still exposed to the air. Pain soon overtook Ardeth as he felt one last crack of the whip hit his already painful back. He cried out in pain.
"Take him back to the other two. I'll deal with him again later," Altaram ordered the guards, putting the whip back where he found it.
Ardeth was taken back to the tent where Catlanda and Marok impatiently waited. He was thrown inside in a heap.
The two gaped wide-eyed at his back.
"Oh no, Ardeth!" she cried as she hurried over to him.
The two looked over his obviously sore back. The blood still continued to flow free from the many wounds.
"If I only had the Spire. We could get out of here and get him help," Catlanda said, her head drooping.
"It's not your fault Cat. Right now, let's do what we can for Ardeth," Marok assured her.
***
Isis stopped at the top of a sand dune with Rick stopping right behind her. In the distance, they saw what looked to be like a village.
"Great work Isis. That's probably where those three are. I just hope that we make it in time to help Ardeth. He must be in terrible shape by now," Rick said, lifting his arm.
In his hand was the Spire.
"And I've got to get this back to Catty," he whispered.
The two hurried towards the buildings in the distance, hoping they could find their friends.
***
Tarnay ran into the tent to see Altaram sitting on the bed. He looked her way.
"What's wrong?" he asked, climbing to his feet.
"There's someone coming this way on a camel. He's probably here to rescue Ardeth and those other two," she replied.
He stood up and headed over to the opening. From there, he saw a figure slowing coming in their direction.
"It looks like we're going to have company. I feel obligated to welcome our guest," Altaram snickered, heading back inside the tent.
He grabbed his sword and walked out of the tent again.
Tarnay watched him go.
"I have to congratulate this man for his bravery. He's going to give his life for his friends," she said before following him.
***
Catlanda held Ardeth's head on his lap as Marok tore pieces of his robe off to cover the wounds. She even ripped some pieces off hers and laid it on the painful wounds. She gazed over him. What she saw was a great leader brought down to nothing. His once shining hair was now limp and stuck to his face from sweat and his face looked like that of a sleeping child. They both noticed his heavy breathing.
"I wish I didn't have to see him like this Marok," she told him.
"I don't either but neither one of us can help the fact that he was struck with a whip. This must be so painful," he replied as he wiped away some blood.
At that moment, Ardeth groaned. He lifted himself to a sitting position and put a hand up to his head. He blankly looked at them both.
"Ardeth, how're you feeling?" asked Marok, a hand gently on his back.
"I'm not sure. It hurts all over," he quietly replied.
"Father, I worry for your safety. Please don't get yourself killed because of me," Catlanda pleaded of him.
Ardeth looked at the sad eyes before him. He put a hand on her shoulder as she unconsciously grabbed at something invisble beside her.
"Catlanda, you need to know something. I made a promise to your real father just after you were born. I gave him my word that no harm would come to you if anything should happen to him. That I would not let anything happen to you. I don't intend on breaking it now after all these years," Ardeth explained to her beofer wincing in pain.
"You'd rather die than see me harmed by the hands of these enemies," she said, looking away from him.
Ardeth put an arm around her and nodded.
'But if you only knew the nature if this evil,' Ardeth told himself before a look of pain swpet across his face.
He slumped forward into their arms. They lowered him to his stomach. They both saw he was unconscious again.
"He's lost too much blood. From this and the slash wound he received before coming here. And the concussion as well. I don't think he's going to make it this time if we don't get him help right away," Marok told her with a solemn look.
Catlanda looked devestated at this.
"No," she said, shaking her head as she hugged her father.
***
Rick neared the camp as a man walked out of it. He stopped the camel as did Isis, who growled.
"My name is Altaram, leader of this tribe. What is your business here?" the man called out to him.
"I'm looking for some friends of mine. Two men and one woman. Do you know where are they?" Rick called out to him.
"I'm sorry, we have not seen them," the man replied.
Rick neared the camel to the village before climbing off. As he did, he noticed the Spire was emitting a small glow. He was curious on why it did that until it came to him. He faced Altaram.
"How come I don't believe you?" Rick posed him.
"Why would you not believe my word? I tell you the truth. Nobody here has seen them," the man replied.
"I hate to disappoint you but I have my ways of knowing and I say they are here. Now where are they?" Rick demanded, a smile on his face the entire time.
"And what is this way?" wondered Altaram, concern creeping into his voice.
"I'm not telling you bub until you answer my question first. Where are they?" Rick angrily replied.
Altaram snarled.
"You're in cahoots with them. You will die before find them," he yelled.
Rick barely had time to register what was going on as the man charged at him with a sword.
***
Sharak noticed the village in the distance and hurried towards it.
"What's this? A village all the way out here? This wasn't here before," he quietly told himself along the way.
He soon came to it and saw Rick being charged at by the man. Sharak's eyes widened as he watched the scene play out.
Rick ran back to the camel and grabbed the Spire, holding it out as a weapon to defend himself.
"The Spire! You have it! Give it to me!" Altaram ordered.
"Let me think here...no. What makes you think I'm going to do a stupid thing like that? Especially since you don't know how to use and the one who does isn't here?" Rick sarcastically wondered.
"I lied. She is here and she always will be. If she does leave, she won't be breathing," he replied.
TBC...