########################################################################
Enemy My Friend
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
########################################################################
----------------
Chapter 7
----------------
-----Arus-----
"Destroyed?"
Xue nodded as he turned a page in the old book and read from one passage. "Upon my return, the city I once knew of home, laid abandoned, empty. I had found it odd that my eariler hails did not illicit any communications; radar detected nothing in the skies.
"I landed in an open field and trekked my way back; and noticed that not a single bird flew in the sky. Not even an insect chirped in the grass I walked upon.
"The buildings were empty. Streets that were once filled with people were now empty.
"Doors to homes were wide open. In one I found that breakfast still sat on the table, rotting, but it seemed as if whatever had happened hit them in the morning.
"I explored the rest of the planet and found it similar everywhere. No one. Not even animals were left on Argos. My home, my people, gone."
"They just all disappeared?" Lance asked.
"I think something more than that happened," Xue stated. "It goes on to say that he returned to Vallis to relate the rest of his tale, but it ends shortly after that."
Keith stared at the planet highlighted on the screen before him, feeling as if this Argos was somehow, important to him. As if, he had been there before.
"Well, damn..."
Keith looked up as Hunk entered the control room. "I just got some major reports back on this planet," he said. "It seems our Doom friends took some interest back a while ago on this planet, so I was able to find some things on it."
"Like what?" Pidge asked as he went to join his friend.
"The scientists who first explored the planet, were ecstatic to find that the whole damn thing was a ripe source for Lazon."
"Lazon?" Allura asked. "They had Lazon in their backyards and didn't take advantage of it?"
"They also included some other reports as well," Hunk said as he lifted one of the papers he brought in. "Oh my."
"What is it?"
"Upon further research, after sending three ship full of slaves to explore the abandoned processing plants, after 68 hours of exposure to the planet's atmosphere, the slaves began to become violently ill; symptoms ranging from fevers, shakes, vomiting, sweats, chills, and in several cases, blood poisoning. 72 hours after first exposure, of the 3,487 slaves brought to Argos, 2,987 died.
"It is with great disappointment that we cannot use the resources of this planet to our advantage because of the effects that Lazon, in its purest of forms, will kill anyone who comes in contact with it. Testing conducted on my crew and anyone who came from Planet Doom, seem to be not affected by the ore. It is to our conclusion that if we were to mine Argos for it's Lazon, we would need anyone of Doom or Drule descent; or find the original inhabitants of this desolate planet, of whom, were not affected as well."
"And all they use on Doom are human slaves to work in their Lazon mines there," Teri stated. "But if Doom has Lazon, why aren't the slaves there affected?"
"The scientists said that this was Lazon in its 'purest' form," Hunk stated. "It could be that what they have on Doom is a mixture of other ores but is still considered Lazon," he said. "It would be similar to that of old gasoline and that of rocket fuel. One is considered a diluted version of fuel, the other the purest form of fuel you can have. Both do the same thing."
"72 hours?" Keith asked. "If that is true, then we'll have to be sure that we are out of there before then."
"Not quite," Hunk said as he read over the papers again. "States here that symptoms started to show within 18 hours of exposure; if they got to those slaves and gave them a medicine they developed, they were able to get them out of there and back to Doom. Im assuming that's the 400 plus that they claimed made it. Testing of the medicine after 24 hours of exposure didn't alleviate any of the symptoms."
"So the next 48 hours of their lives were pure torture to those that didn't get the medicine in time?" Lance stated. "Did the scientists mention what the medicine was derived from?"
"No, which will be something we would need," Hunk stated. "If we don't get off of Argos within 24 hours of landing there--"
"Pidge, you work with Teri and Dr. Gorma to see if you can find out what kind of medicine is used against Lazon poisoning," Keith ordered. "Neive, please work with Xue on translating the rest of those books to find out if they reveal any more information about that planet."
"That woman must be working with someone else on this," Lance stated. "Xue, what did the man that took Anala look like?"
"Tan-skinned, unusually tall, grey eyes," Xue stated. "And he spoke with an unusual accent."
"Same with the woman who came here," Keith stated. "Except she knew Arusian, English and some other language."
"That language she was speaking to you in," Lance stated.
"What language?" Xue asked.
"I don't know," Keith stated. "But it sounded like pure English to me."
"English?" Lance asked.
"Do you remember exactly what she said?" Xue asked.
"I do," Shane stated. "One thing I do love the most is figuring out different languages."
"Could you repeat what she said?"
" 'Vi....Vir...Vir'ase, Ylren' was the first thing she said," Shane stated.
"Vir'ase," Xue repeated as he then turned to Keith. "She called you Lord Ylren."
"Lord Ylren?"
"Who is Ylren?" Neive asked. "She said that name at least a couple of times."
"Someone from Vallis," Xue quickly answered. "Keith, is it possible that I speak with you after this?"
Keith nodded and took it as a sign that this meeting was now concluded. He issued his final orders to everyone, and as the room cleared, Xue approached Keith.
"What is it?" he asked.
"She spoke to you in a language that was only spoken by our elders," Xue stated. "The fact that she knew it, and called you Lord, would suggest that somehow, she knew Ylren personally."
"Personally?" Keith asked. "But that would mean she would be over--"
"2400 years old," Xue stated. "Vir'ase, is more of an affectionate term used among those close to each other."
"Xue, I know that what I went through 3 months ago, is still somewhat a mystery, but through all that has happened, never once anyone told me what happened to Ylren," Keith stated. "If he did become a 'god', where did he go?"
"Didn't Anala say?" Xue asked. "I thought at least Keryn would have told you."
"What?"
"He was killed by an unknown being, upon his return to Vallis..," Xue stated.
"Murdered?"
Xue nodded. "I didn't get much from the elders of anything else of it," he said. "Do you want to know the odd thing?"
"What is it?"
"Kelar, was a descendant of Ylren."
-----/-----/-----/-----/------/------/------/------/-----/-----/-------/------/------/------/------/------/-----/------/------/------/------/------/
-----Doom-----
Anala followed behind the first guard closely as they headed up three flights of stairs and then down a long hallway. The air was cold, and a little dry, and the lighted torches that illuminated the castle did little to chase away that small eerie feeling that came to her. She already had a feeling of where she was being taken.
The first guard came to stand before a ratherly large set of doors. He lightly knocked on the door.
Anala watched as the doors then opened; a young slave girl bowed as the guards pushed Anala through the open door. She looked back the young girl as she waited by the doors.
"Sire, the Queen Anala of Vallis," the first guard said.
"You are excused."
Anala watched as Lotor appeared from behind a curtained off section of the room, not dressed in his usual garb that she had seen of him. Instead he wore a simple dark tunic shirt, and baggy pants, as he made his way to a small table. His long white hair, tied behind him.
"Yes sire," the guards stated and turned to leave.
"Sire, is there anything else I can prepare for you?" the small girl at the door asked.
"All is fine, Sirra," Lotor stated. "Do see that my sister has gotten things settled for tomorrow's trip."
"I will sire," she stated and then bowed. "I bid you goodnight."
With another bow, the girl then followed the two guards out of the large room, closing the two doors shut behind her.
Anala watched as the doors closed, and then was surprised as a glass of wine was then offered to her. She took a step back as she stared up the Prince, more out of how she didn't know he was there, than out of fear.
"I will not harm you," he stated as he offered the glass to her again.
Anala nodded as she took the glass from him. "There is no reason to fear of harm from you, Lotor," she stated as she took a sip of the wine. "Vallis has no quarrel with Doom."
Lotor looked at her, a little surprised by her remark. "Well, that would be a little false," he said as he walked away from her. "Kelar did give us some trouble from time to time."
"And we returned what he had stolen from you without any prejudice," Anala stated. "Under my leadership, I wanted to keep our relationship with Doom as netural as possible."
"Even though you are apart of the Galaxy Alliance?"
"Our affiliation with the Galaxy Alliance means we only get the needed support from the others in the union," she stated. "It doesn't mean that enemies of the other planets within the union will be our enemies as well."
"And what of your brother's concerns?" he asked. "Does he approve of your neutral stance with Doom?"
"My brother has nothing to do with how I rule Vallis," she said sternly. "He respects my decisions and trusts that for the welfare of my people, we make as few enemies as possible.
"Your fight with Arus, is not our fight," she added. "And if that is all you wanted to discuss, I can no more give you any other insight into what Princess Allura does than what you and I already know."
Lotor then turned to her and let out a hearty laugh. "I did not ask you here to discuss our political dealings with Arus," he stated as he refilled his glass with the dark wine. "I asked you here because I want to know is if there is anything about this strange mission that we are to participate in tomorrow, that I should be concerned about."
"And why ask me?" she asked as he walked over to her and refilled her glass.
"Come now, your highness," he said. "I know of your people. I know what you all can do. A certain 6th sense."
Anala looked at him, meeting his gaze seeing that he somehow knew as well as she did, that something was not right with what was to happen in the coming day or days ahead. She downed her glass of wine and placed it down on a nearby table as she seated herself on a small couch like chair nearby.
"You are not to trust those three strangers," she said, more as a warning than a statement. "At least not that Roaman fellow."
"The one that my father seems to have a personal relation with?"
Anala nodded. "He definitely is planning a trap," she said as he neared her, bringing the flask of wine and again, refilling her glass. "But a trap for whom, I do not know."
"If he is setting a trap, why is he deeming it necessary to include my sister and I?" he asked.
"I dont know," she said as she took the glass of wine and held it in her hands, staring at the reflection of herself in the dark liquid. "The other two, Lemille and Sendrre; it seems that they were as well surprised by what Roaman stated in the throne room. It's safe to say that this Roaman, whomever he is, is planning something that even your father doesn't know about."
"As I suspected," he stated. "I want to be prepared for anything that will happen."
"The only thing that I can definitely say, is that he, for some reason, has certain animosity toward all who is involved," Anala stated as she sipped the wine. "What it is about? I do not know. But, all those who are involved, will be in great danger."
Lotor met her gaze. "Does he mean to have us all killed?"
"That I believe would be his goal," she said. "Even if it means the sacrifice of the two who follow him."
"This does present a problem," he stated as he walked away. "I will have to make sure that my sister and I are ready for anything that will happen."
Anala slowly nodded. "Kidnapping Katherine, would have been all that was needed to lure Princess Allura and the Voltron Force into this fight," she said. "I don't know the motive behind my capture."
"Could it be that there was something to do with Vallis and it's leaders?"
"I've been trying to figure that out," she said. "The book I was reading prior to my capture, chronicled the story of a traveler who came to Vallis, his original mission was to find civilizatins advanced enough to help deliver a message of peace to his people. Upon his return to Argos, however, he found the planet devoid of life, human or animal. Cities that were bustling with life now laid empty and bare. He had no idea what would have caused them to all disappear. When he returned to Vallis, he related the story to one of our elders, and it has been used as the bench for our society since."
"Why would such a fanciful tale be so cherished among your people?"
"His tale was used to stress that his people were so obsessed with power and greed, that warring among their own cities, and countries was finally taking its toll on the people who lived there," she said. "A lesson that we all have been taught since we were children.
"I was barely done with the book when Sendrre came and took me," she said. "And from conversing with Allura, it is pretty much the same tale as told in the book I found that used to belong to Arus."
"Same book?"
"Similar," she stated. "Of a similar visit to Arus, by a traveller who was also from Argos."
"The pieces of this strange puzzle seems to be falling together," Lotor stated. "It seems that anyone who's had any type of affiliation with this planet Argos, have been targeted."
"But what is your affiliation?"
"We once tried to mine the Lazon deposits on the planet nearly a century ago," he stated. "But quickly realized that it would cost us more in slaves than to mine the ore."
"This Roaman seems to have a special tie to that dead planet," Anala said as she finished her wine. She blinked twice as she then felt herself swoon a bit, the wine finally affecting her senses. "What is this?"
Lotor smiled as he grabbed the flask and filled her glass again. "Its a special wine made from the Li'sara berries of Arus," he said. "Takes nearly 30 years just to age."
Anala could only stare at the dark liquid as her mind fought to concentrate. "Is there anything else you needed to know about the mission?" she asked. "I should be getting back to Katherine before she decides to tear a new wall in the room you put her in."
"Actually there is another matter, I wanted to discuss with you," he stated as he settled the flask down on the table near the couch and then seated himself at the opposite end. "There is the matter of a week that I seem to have lost, 9 months ago."
Anala looked at him, remembering that Xue had put a spell on all those who were witness to the liberation of Vallis from Kelar's rule. Since them, Keith saw to it that the spell was lifted from his friends, but it seemed that the spell wasn't lifted from Lotor.
"I know it has to do something with your brother and Kelar," he said. "And I dont like being kept in the dark, or have my own memories erased because of what I was witnessed to."
Anala nodded as she sipped from her glass. "We wanted to protect all those who were involved," she said. "But now that you know part of the truth---" She finished off her glass and placed it down next to the flask as she then turned to him. She held up her arms to him. "You'll have to trust me a bit so I can lift the spell."
"What are you going to do?"
"Will you trust me?"
"Will you hurt me?"
"Have I ever shown malice toward you?"
Lotor then startled her a bit as he pulled out a knife from the inside of the boot he wore and brought it down into one of the cushions of the couch they were on.
"If anything happens, I will not be afraid to use that against you," he said.
"I won't give you a reason to," she stated. She then shook her head a bit, to shake off some of the effects the alcohol was having on her. "If I don't do this now, I won't be able to do it at all. The wine is affecting me."
Lotor breathed in deeply as he leaned forward toward her. Anala breathed in deeply, trying to relax herself, even though her heart, now, started to beat heavily in her chest. It was the same feeling she had felt back on Vallis, all those months ago, when she had helped him after Kelar attacked them.
Excusing the feeling from her mind, she gently placed her hands to the side of his face, and leaned her head against his own. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply as she concentrated on the counter spell.
"Vlia volue, milia milue," she whispered.
Anala let the words echo, the effects of the wine only seemed to augment the spell, and soon, images and memories that were not her own, flooded her mind. She unwittingly had opened a door, to his mind.
Enemy My Friend
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
########################################################################
----------------
Chapter 7
----------------
-----Arus-----
"Destroyed?"
Xue nodded as he turned a page in the old book and read from one passage. "Upon my return, the city I once knew of home, laid abandoned, empty. I had found it odd that my eariler hails did not illicit any communications; radar detected nothing in the skies.
"I landed in an open field and trekked my way back; and noticed that not a single bird flew in the sky. Not even an insect chirped in the grass I walked upon.
"The buildings were empty. Streets that were once filled with people were now empty.
"Doors to homes were wide open. In one I found that breakfast still sat on the table, rotting, but it seemed as if whatever had happened hit them in the morning.
"I explored the rest of the planet and found it similar everywhere. No one. Not even animals were left on Argos. My home, my people, gone."
"They just all disappeared?" Lance asked.
"I think something more than that happened," Xue stated. "It goes on to say that he returned to Vallis to relate the rest of his tale, but it ends shortly after that."
Keith stared at the planet highlighted on the screen before him, feeling as if this Argos was somehow, important to him. As if, he had been there before.
"Well, damn..."
Keith looked up as Hunk entered the control room. "I just got some major reports back on this planet," he said. "It seems our Doom friends took some interest back a while ago on this planet, so I was able to find some things on it."
"Like what?" Pidge asked as he went to join his friend.
"The scientists who first explored the planet, were ecstatic to find that the whole damn thing was a ripe source for Lazon."
"Lazon?" Allura asked. "They had Lazon in their backyards and didn't take advantage of it?"
"They also included some other reports as well," Hunk said as he lifted one of the papers he brought in. "Oh my."
"What is it?"
"Upon further research, after sending three ship full of slaves to explore the abandoned processing plants, after 68 hours of exposure to the planet's atmosphere, the slaves began to become violently ill; symptoms ranging from fevers, shakes, vomiting, sweats, chills, and in several cases, blood poisoning. 72 hours after first exposure, of the 3,487 slaves brought to Argos, 2,987 died.
"It is with great disappointment that we cannot use the resources of this planet to our advantage because of the effects that Lazon, in its purest of forms, will kill anyone who comes in contact with it. Testing conducted on my crew and anyone who came from Planet Doom, seem to be not affected by the ore. It is to our conclusion that if we were to mine Argos for it's Lazon, we would need anyone of Doom or Drule descent; or find the original inhabitants of this desolate planet, of whom, were not affected as well."
"And all they use on Doom are human slaves to work in their Lazon mines there," Teri stated. "But if Doom has Lazon, why aren't the slaves there affected?"
"The scientists said that this was Lazon in its 'purest' form," Hunk stated. "It could be that what they have on Doom is a mixture of other ores but is still considered Lazon," he said. "It would be similar to that of old gasoline and that of rocket fuel. One is considered a diluted version of fuel, the other the purest form of fuel you can have. Both do the same thing."
"72 hours?" Keith asked. "If that is true, then we'll have to be sure that we are out of there before then."
"Not quite," Hunk said as he read over the papers again. "States here that symptoms started to show within 18 hours of exposure; if they got to those slaves and gave them a medicine they developed, they were able to get them out of there and back to Doom. Im assuming that's the 400 plus that they claimed made it. Testing of the medicine after 24 hours of exposure didn't alleviate any of the symptoms."
"So the next 48 hours of their lives were pure torture to those that didn't get the medicine in time?" Lance stated. "Did the scientists mention what the medicine was derived from?"
"No, which will be something we would need," Hunk stated. "If we don't get off of Argos within 24 hours of landing there--"
"Pidge, you work with Teri and Dr. Gorma to see if you can find out what kind of medicine is used against Lazon poisoning," Keith ordered. "Neive, please work with Xue on translating the rest of those books to find out if they reveal any more information about that planet."
"That woman must be working with someone else on this," Lance stated. "Xue, what did the man that took Anala look like?"
"Tan-skinned, unusually tall, grey eyes," Xue stated. "And he spoke with an unusual accent."
"Same with the woman who came here," Keith stated. "Except she knew Arusian, English and some other language."
"That language she was speaking to you in," Lance stated.
"What language?" Xue asked.
"I don't know," Keith stated. "But it sounded like pure English to me."
"English?" Lance asked.
"Do you remember exactly what she said?" Xue asked.
"I do," Shane stated. "One thing I do love the most is figuring out different languages."
"Could you repeat what she said?"
" 'Vi....Vir...Vir'ase, Ylren' was the first thing she said," Shane stated.
"Vir'ase," Xue repeated as he then turned to Keith. "She called you Lord Ylren."
"Lord Ylren?"
"Who is Ylren?" Neive asked. "She said that name at least a couple of times."
"Someone from Vallis," Xue quickly answered. "Keith, is it possible that I speak with you after this?"
Keith nodded and took it as a sign that this meeting was now concluded. He issued his final orders to everyone, and as the room cleared, Xue approached Keith.
"What is it?" he asked.
"She spoke to you in a language that was only spoken by our elders," Xue stated. "The fact that she knew it, and called you Lord, would suggest that somehow, she knew Ylren personally."
"Personally?" Keith asked. "But that would mean she would be over--"
"2400 years old," Xue stated. "Vir'ase, is more of an affectionate term used among those close to each other."
"Xue, I know that what I went through 3 months ago, is still somewhat a mystery, but through all that has happened, never once anyone told me what happened to Ylren," Keith stated. "If he did become a 'god', where did he go?"
"Didn't Anala say?" Xue asked. "I thought at least Keryn would have told you."
"What?"
"He was killed by an unknown being, upon his return to Vallis..," Xue stated.
"Murdered?"
Xue nodded. "I didn't get much from the elders of anything else of it," he said. "Do you want to know the odd thing?"
"What is it?"
"Kelar, was a descendant of Ylren."
-----/-----/-----/-----/------/------/------/------/-----/-----/-------/------/------/------/------/------/-----/------/------/------/------/------/
-----Doom-----
Anala followed behind the first guard closely as they headed up three flights of stairs and then down a long hallway. The air was cold, and a little dry, and the lighted torches that illuminated the castle did little to chase away that small eerie feeling that came to her. She already had a feeling of where she was being taken.
The first guard came to stand before a ratherly large set of doors. He lightly knocked on the door.
Anala watched as the doors then opened; a young slave girl bowed as the guards pushed Anala through the open door. She looked back the young girl as she waited by the doors.
"Sire, the Queen Anala of Vallis," the first guard said.
"You are excused."
Anala watched as Lotor appeared from behind a curtained off section of the room, not dressed in his usual garb that she had seen of him. Instead he wore a simple dark tunic shirt, and baggy pants, as he made his way to a small table. His long white hair, tied behind him.
"Yes sire," the guards stated and turned to leave.
"Sire, is there anything else I can prepare for you?" the small girl at the door asked.
"All is fine, Sirra," Lotor stated. "Do see that my sister has gotten things settled for tomorrow's trip."
"I will sire," she stated and then bowed. "I bid you goodnight."
With another bow, the girl then followed the two guards out of the large room, closing the two doors shut behind her.
Anala watched as the doors closed, and then was surprised as a glass of wine was then offered to her. She took a step back as she stared up the Prince, more out of how she didn't know he was there, than out of fear.
"I will not harm you," he stated as he offered the glass to her again.
Anala nodded as she took the glass from him. "There is no reason to fear of harm from you, Lotor," she stated as she took a sip of the wine. "Vallis has no quarrel with Doom."
Lotor looked at her, a little surprised by her remark. "Well, that would be a little false," he said as he walked away from her. "Kelar did give us some trouble from time to time."
"And we returned what he had stolen from you without any prejudice," Anala stated. "Under my leadership, I wanted to keep our relationship with Doom as netural as possible."
"Even though you are apart of the Galaxy Alliance?"
"Our affiliation with the Galaxy Alliance means we only get the needed support from the others in the union," she stated. "It doesn't mean that enemies of the other planets within the union will be our enemies as well."
"And what of your brother's concerns?" he asked. "Does he approve of your neutral stance with Doom?"
"My brother has nothing to do with how I rule Vallis," she said sternly. "He respects my decisions and trusts that for the welfare of my people, we make as few enemies as possible.
"Your fight with Arus, is not our fight," she added. "And if that is all you wanted to discuss, I can no more give you any other insight into what Princess Allura does than what you and I already know."
Lotor then turned to her and let out a hearty laugh. "I did not ask you here to discuss our political dealings with Arus," he stated as he refilled his glass with the dark wine. "I asked you here because I want to know is if there is anything about this strange mission that we are to participate in tomorrow, that I should be concerned about."
"And why ask me?" she asked as he walked over to her and refilled her glass.
"Come now, your highness," he said. "I know of your people. I know what you all can do. A certain 6th sense."
Anala looked at him, meeting his gaze seeing that he somehow knew as well as she did, that something was not right with what was to happen in the coming day or days ahead. She downed her glass of wine and placed it down on a nearby table as she seated herself on a small couch like chair nearby.
"You are not to trust those three strangers," she said, more as a warning than a statement. "At least not that Roaman fellow."
"The one that my father seems to have a personal relation with?"
Anala nodded. "He definitely is planning a trap," she said as he neared her, bringing the flask of wine and again, refilling her glass. "But a trap for whom, I do not know."
"If he is setting a trap, why is he deeming it necessary to include my sister and I?" he asked.
"I dont know," she said as she took the glass of wine and held it in her hands, staring at the reflection of herself in the dark liquid. "The other two, Lemille and Sendrre; it seems that they were as well surprised by what Roaman stated in the throne room. It's safe to say that this Roaman, whomever he is, is planning something that even your father doesn't know about."
"As I suspected," he stated. "I want to be prepared for anything that will happen."
"The only thing that I can definitely say, is that he, for some reason, has certain animosity toward all who is involved," Anala stated as she sipped the wine. "What it is about? I do not know. But, all those who are involved, will be in great danger."
Lotor met her gaze. "Does he mean to have us all killed?"
"That I believe would be his goal," she said. "Even if it means the sacrifice of the two who follow him."
"This does present a problem," he stated as he walked away. "I will have to make sure that my sister and I are ready for anything that will happen."
Anala slowly nodded. "Kidnapping Katherine, would have been all that was needed to lure Princess Allura and the Voltron Force into this fight," she said. "I don't know the motive behind my capture."
"Could it be that there was something to do with Vallis and it's leaders?"
"I've been trying to figure that out," she said. "The book I was reading prior to my capture, chronicled the story of a traveler who came to Vallis, his original mission was to find civilizatins advanced enough to help deliver a message of peace to his people. Upon his return to Argos, however, he found the planet devoid of life, human or animal. Cities that were bustling with life now laid empty and bare. He had no idea what would have caused them to all disappear. When he returned to Vallis, he related the story to one of our elders, and it has been used as the bench for our society since."
"Why would such a fanciful tale be so cherished among your people?"
"His tale was used to stress that his people were so obsessed with power and greed, that warring among their own cities, and countries was finally taking its toll on the people who lived there," she said. "A lesson that we all have been taught since we were children.
"I was barely done with the book when Sendrre came and took me," she said. "And from conversing with Allura, it is pretty much the same tale as told in the book I found that used to belong to Arus."
"Same book?"
"Similar," she stated. "Of a similar visit to Arus, by a traveller who was also from Argos."
"The pieces of this strange puzzle seems to be falling together," Lotor stated. "It seems that anyone who's had any type of affiliation with this planet Argos, have been targeted."
"But what is your affiliation?"
"We once tried to mine the Lazon deposits on the planet nearly a century ago," he stated. "But quickly realized that it would cost us more in slaves than to mine the ore."
"This Roaman seems to have a special tie to that dead planet," Anala said as she finished her wine. She blinked twice as she then felt herself swoon a bit, the wine finally affecting her senses. "What is this?"
Lotor smiled as he grabbed the flask and filled her glass again. "Its a special wine made from the Li'sara berries of Arus," he said. "Takes nearly 30 years just to age."
Anala could only stare at the dark liquid as her mind fought to concentrate. "Is there anything else you needed to know about the mission?" she asked. "I should be getting back to Katherine before she decides to tear a new wall in the room you put her in."
"Actually there is another matter, I wanted to discuss with you," he stated as he settled the flask down on the table near the couch and then seated himself at the opposite end. "There is the matter of a week that I seem to have lost, 9 months ago."
Anala looked at him, remembering that Xue had put a spell on all those who were witness to the liberation of Vallis from Kelar's rule. Since them, Keith saw to it that the spell was lifted from his friends, but it seemed that the spell wasn't lifted from Lotor.
"I know it has to do something with your brother and Kelar," he said. "And I dont like being kept in the dark, or have my own memories erased because of what I was witnessed to."
Anala nodded as she sipped from her glass. "We wanted to protect all those who were involved," she said. "But now that you know part of the truth---" She finished off her glass and placed it down next to the flask as she then turned to him. She held up her arms to him. "You'll have to trust me a bit so I can lift the spell."
"What are you going to do?"
"Will you trust me?"
"Will you hurt me?"
"Have I ever shown malice toward you?"
Lotor then startled her a bit as he pulled out a knife from the inside of the boot he wore and brought it down into one of the cushions of the couch they were on.
"If anything happens, I will not be afraid to use that against you," he said.
"I won't give you a reason to," she stated. She then shook her head a bit, to shake off some of the effects the alcohol was having on her. "If I don't do this now, I won't be able to do it at all. The wine is affecting me."
Lotor breathed in deeply as he leaned forward toward her. Anala breathed in deeply, trying to relax herself, even though her heart, now, started to beat heavily in her chest. It was the same feeling she had felt back on Vallis, all those months ago, when she had helped him after Kelar attacked them.
Excusing the feeling from her mind, she gently placed her hands to the side of his face, and leaned her head against his own. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply as she concentrated on the counter spell.
"Vlia volue, milia milue," she whispered.
Anala let the words echo, the effects of the wine only seemed to augment the spell, and soon, images and memories that were not her own, flooded her mind. She unwittingly had opened a door, to his mind.