Marok put pressure on Ardeth's wounds. He was gasping for air in his sleep
even as the younger man did so. Catlanda was trying to help from her
slightly awkward position as Ardeth was still using her lap as a pillow.
Ardeth was squirming away a bit in pain.
"Calm down Ardeth. I never said this wouldn't hurt. We have to stop the bleeding," Marok told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Cat, I can do this."
She stopped and started to stroke Ardeth's lifeless hair as he laid there.
"I'm really sorry it has to be like this," sighed Marok as he eyed Catlanda.
"I am as well. He's risking his life to keep a promise he made years ago," Catlanda sighed.
She suddenly jerked her head up and quickly glanced from side to side. Marok stopped what he was doing and narrowed his eyes.
"What wrong?" he asked as he started up again with what he was doing.
"Can't you feel that? It's an exceptionally powerful force of some kind. As if it were within the village. Are you sure you can't feel it?" she replied.
He nodded, still very confused at what she meant as a smile creeped upon her face.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"It's the Spire. It's here!" she quietly said.
Marok's eyes opened wide.
***
Rick blocked each of the attacks that were delivered against him by the man before him.
"You will never win. I will get that Spire and kill the prisoners, starting with Ardeth," Altaram told him.
"Really? Yeah right, not if I can help it," Rick replied as he swung the Spire at him.
He was blocked by the sword.
"Spire, sword. Um, please," he asked it his nicest voice possible.
"I am sorry, I cannot. I only take orders from the one that I was entrusted with," the Spire replied.
Rick rolled his eyes.
"Perfect. I can't even USE this bloody thing," he said with an exasperated sigh as he blocked another attack.
"Which is precisely why I've got the girl. She will use it for me as long as she wants her dear friends alive. Especially Ardeth," Altaram told him.
Rick's mouth opened all the way to the sand.
"Blackmailer. I'll make sure they all get out of here safe, with or without the use of this thing," Rick snarled as the two continued to deflect each other attacks.
***
Sharak defended himself against the oncoming men until he could no longer. His arms were pulled behind him and shoved to where the battle was taking place between Rick and Altaram.
By what he saw, it looked like Rick was losing the fight.
"Rick, no. Don't let him win. Please don't let him," he whispered to himself as he continued to watch.
Rick was struggling against the man, his teeth bared.
'If only...if only I could use the Spire. It would help a great deal at the moment,' he thought.
***
"You're kidding me right? The Spire's here? In the village? Who has it?" Marok quickly asked the questions.
"Calm down, give me a moment. I have been around the Spire since I was about twelve. I've grown accustomed to the faint pulse it gives off. This is the first time I've been away from it ever but I can still feel it here. It also gives off a negative or positive pulse, depending on who is carrying it at the moment," she explained.
"Really? You can tell exactly who is carrying it?" Marok wondered.
"Not exactly but if the person is either friend or enemy and it feels like...an ally. Rick must be here! It's got to be! Oh no," she replied, turning her head away from him.
"What? What's the matter?" he cautiously asked.
"He can't use it. Only I can. The Spire only listens to me," she said with a sigh.
They heard a noise near the entrance of the tent and in walked Isis and it looked like she had a grin on her face.
"Isis. Seeing you here gives me the courage," Catlanda said happily.
***
Outside, Rick was pinned to the ground, the Spire still in his hand.
"You have been defeated. Before I kill you and take the Spire from you, I want to tell you something. My entire tribe here is banished," he said to Rick as his sword sat very close to the American's head.
"Really? Why?" Rick sarcastically said.
"We were all a threat to our tribes. I had a few friends once. One's name was Cathanak Duray," Altaram said.
Rick's face curiosity now.
"Who's that and why?" he asked.
"My wife and I were banished soon after his child was born with a certain Alna Marn when we caused terror throughout the tribe. Sadly, they lived through it as did a certain Ardeth Bay," Altaram replied, pulling down the cloth so Rick could see the tattoos.
"Ardeth? What did you do to him?" Rick demanded.
"You're in no position to make demands but I will tell you. I did nothing really. All I did was strike him several times with a whip," Altaram calmly said, looking at his hand.
His glare returned to Rick.
"Cathanak was my friend as was Ardeth and Alna. I loved her though she cared more for her husband and their friend than me. Especially after she and Cathanak wed and had their child. Two died and the third wouldn't give me a second look after their deaths. He had more important things to do. Cathanak and Ardeth were best of friends and neither really looked my way after a time. I simply gave the surviving member of the trio a dose of his own medicine. Pain and hurt which cannot be fully healed like what I suffered by their hands," he replied, lifting his sword.
"Spire!" screamed a voice.
Sharak, Rick, Altaram and all the other men there looked to where it came from. The yellow eyes glowed bright at the voice. Rick gave an inward sigh.
"Oh no. What is she going to do with it?" Altaram said, obviously scared as he dropped his sword.
"Until you are back in my possession, you will listen to what Rick O'Connell has to say. Help him with whatever he needs," cried the voice.
"It is done," the Spire said.
"NO! IT CAN'T BE!!!!" screamed Altaram as he grabbed his hair.
The entire Spire glowed bright in Rick's hand.
Once it dimmed, Rick stood up, ready to get the show on the road.
"Not this is something that I like. Now pick up your sword as I get one myself. Spire, sword," he commanded.
A sword appeared in his hand as Altaram reluctantly picked up his.
"Now I call this a fair fight," Rick said as he charged at the man.
The American was now overpowering the once dominant man. He managed to back him into the corner of a tent.
"This is pathetic. I really think your hopes were too high," Rick finally said as he tied the man's hands behind his back.
He led Altaram out of the tent. Once the other men saw him like this, they turned and ran, leaving Sharak behind with Rick.
Tarnay growled at this and ran into the tent with the prisoners.
Marok and Catlanda watched her as she barged in and pushed them out of the way. She lifted the semi-conscious Ardeth to his feet and dragged him outside in the view of Rick. She pulled out a dagger and placed at Ardeth's throat.
Rick stopped short once he saw his friend.
"Ardeth," he said.
"Put the sword and Spire down or else he will die right here and now," she ordered as Ardeth placed his hands on the hand around his neck.
TBC...
"Calm down Ardeth. I never said this wouldn't hurt. We have to stop the bleeding," Marok told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Cat, I can do this."
She stopped and started to stroke Ardeth's lifeless hair as he laid there.
"I'm really sorry it has to be like this," sighed Marok as he eyed Catlanda.
"I am as well. He's risking his life to keep a promise he made years ago," Catlanda sighed.
She suddenly jerked her head up and quickly glanced from side to side. Marok stopped what he was doing and narrowed his eyes.
"What wrong?" he asked as he started up again with what he was doing.
"Can't you feel that? It's an exceptionally powerful force of some kind. As if it were within the village. Are you sure you can't feel it?" she replied.
He nodded, still very confused at what she meant as a smile creeped upon her face.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"It's the Spire. It's here!" she quietly said.
Marok's eyes opened wide.
***
Rick blocked each of the attacks that were delivered against him by the man before him.
"You will never win. I will get that Spire and kill the prisoners, starting with Ardeth," Altaram told him.
"Really? Yeah right, not if I can help it," Rick replied as he swung the Spire at him.
He was blocked by the sword.
"Spire, sword. Um, please," he asked it his nicest voice possible.
"I am sorry, I cannot. I only take orders from the one that I was entrusted with," the Spire replied.
Rick rolled his eyes.
"Perfect. I can't even USE this bloody thing," he said with an exasperated sigh as he blocked another attack.
"Which is precisely why I've got the girl. She will use it for me as long as she wants her dear friends alive. Especially Ardeth," Altaram told him.
Rick's mouth opened all the way to the sand.
"Blackmailer. I'll make sure they all get out of here safe, with or without the use of this thing," Rick snarled as the two continued to deflect each other attacks.
***
Sharak defended himself against the oncoming men until he could no longer. His arms were pulled behind him and shoved to where the battle was taking place between Rick and Altaram.
By what he saw, it looked like Rick was losing the fight.
"Rick, no. Don't let him win. Please don't let him," he whispered to himself as he continued to watch.
Rick was struggling against the man, his teeth bared.
'If only...if only I could use the Spire. It would help a great deal at the moment,' he thought.
***
"You're kidding me right? The Spire's here? In the village? Who has it?" Marok quickly asked the questions.
"Calm down, give me a moment. I have been around the Spire since I was about twelve. I've grown accustomed to the faint pulse it gives off. This is the first time I've been away from it ever but I can still feel it here. It also gives off a negative or positive pulse, depending on who is carrying it at the moment," she explained.
"Really? You can tell exactly who is carrying it?" Marok wondered.
"Not exactly but if the person is either friend or enemy and it feels like...an ally. Rick must be here! It's got to be! Oh no," she replied, turning her head away from him.
"What? What's the matter?" he cautiously asked.
"He can't use it. Only I can. The Spire only listens to me," she said with a sigh.
They heard a noise near the entrance of the tent and in walked Isis and it looked like she had a grin on her face.
"Isis. Seeing you here gives me the courage," Catlanda said happily.
***
Outside, Rick was pinned to the ground, the Spire still in his hand.
"You have been defeated. Before I kill you and take the Spire from you, I want to tell you something. My entire tribe here is banished," he said to Rick as his sword sat very close to the American's head.
"Really? Why?" Rick sarcastically said.
"We were all a threat to our tribes. I had a few friends once. One's name was Cathanak Duray," Altaram said.
Rick's face curiosity now.
"Who's that and why?" he asked.
"My wife and I were banished soon after his child was born with a certain Alna Marn when we caused terror throughout the tribe. Sadly, they lived through it as did a certain Ardeth Bay," Altaram replied, pulling down the cloth so Rick could see the tattoos.
"Ardeth? What did you do to him?" Rick demanded.
"You're in no position to make demands but I will tell you. I did nothing really. All I did was strike him several times with a whip," Altaram calmly said, looking at his hand.
His glare returned to Rick.
"Cathanak was my friend as was Ardeth and Alna. I loved her though she cared more for her husband and their friend than me. Especially after she and Cathanak wed and had their child. Two died and the third wouldn't give me a second look after their deaths. He had more important things to do. Cathanak and Ardeth were best of friends and neither really looked my way after a time. I simply gave the surviving member of the trio a dose of his own medicine. Pain and hurt which cannot be fully healed like what I suffered by their hands," he replied, lifting his sword.
"Spire!" screamed a voice.
Sharak, Rick, Altaram and all the other men there looked to where it came from. The yellow eyes glowed bright at the voice. Rick gave an inward sigh.
"Oh no. What is she going to do with it?" Altaram said, obviously scared as he dropped his sword.
"Until you are back in my possession, you will listen to what Rick O'Connell has to say. Help him with whatever he needs," cried the voice.
"It is done," the Spire said.
"NO! IT CAN'T BE!!!!" screamed Altaram as he grabbed his hair.
The entire Spire glowed bright in Rick's hand.
Once it dimmed, Rick stood up, ready to get the show on the road.
"Not this is something that I like. Now pick up your sword as I get one myself. Spire, sword," he commanded.
A sword appeared in his hand as Altaram reluctantly picked up his.
"Now I call this a fair fight," Rick said as he charged at the man.
The American was now overpowering the once dominant man. He managed to back him into the corner of a tent.
"This is pathetic. I really think your hopes were too high," Rick finally said as he tied the man's hands behind his back.
He led Altaram out of the tent. Once the other men saw him like this, they turned and ran, leaving Sharak behind with Rick.
Tarnay growled at this and ran into the tent with the prisoners.
Marok and Catlanda watched her as she barged in and pushed them out of the way. She lifted the semi-conscious Ardeth to his feet and dragged him outside in the view of Rick. She pulled out a dagger and placed at Ardeth's throat.
Rick stopped short once he saw his friend.
"Ardeth," he said.
"Put the sword and Spire down or else he will die right here and now," she ordered as Ardeth placed his hands on the hand around his neck.
TBC...