Alison stood before the throne of the Toroth sovereign. Brinbek had told her that his father's name was Degrett but that he should never be addressed as such. In fact, he had coached her in every detail of how she should behave in his father's presence. Alison hoped that if she slipped up somewhere it would simply be put down to her being an alien. She waited patiently in the empty throne room she'd been brought to. Eventually the calm was broken by the sound of a tall double door opening. Slowly, two Toroth guards entered the room. Between them, held steady by their waiting wings, was Degrett. Alison kept her eyes down as he approached and could only see the old bird's feet as they lifted cautiously one by one from the polished floor. With each step the aged Toroth took he would let his foot hang in the air for a moment then carefully place it down once more, as if the floor might fall away from him at any moment. Alison bowed low as he finally reached his throne and was helped into it, "Honorable One" she said.
"You may rise" he prompted her. Alison finally raised her head and looked at Degrett. He was quite possibly the oldest creature she had ever seen. His feathers, though well kept, were dull in colour and interspersed among the black was a tinge of light brown. She gazed into his wide yellow eyes that searched her face inquisitively. The irises were a lacy meshwork, each line a testament to his years. "My son tells me you wish to return to the Antazi" He spoke slowly as though every word were an effort. "Have you been so badly treated here?"
"No of course not. Your people have been most generous, but my friend..."
"I fear that if your friend has been captured by the Antazi then he is already dead."
"I can't believe that" she said softly "not until I see him for myself."
The skin around Degrett's eyes wrinkled slightly. "Well, your loyalty is admirable..." He watched her for a time. "but I cannot in good conscience allow you to go unaccompanied." He turned to the Toroth at his right. "You will arrange a party to travel with the human to the edge of the Antazi village." The Toroth bowed low. Degrett turned back to Alison. "Once in the village you have only to call out and my people will attack your enemies from above."
Alison bowed once more "Thank you, I hope that wont be nessasary."
A tumult of noise emanated from behind the double doors. Alison looked up in time to see Brinbeck enter. He rushed toward the throne. His feathers puffed out excitedly, his every movement brisk and agitated. "Father there are Antazi..." then he suddenly stopped as his eyes met Degrett's. The sovereign's brow furrowed in an unmistakable scowl. Brinbek immediately bowed before him. "Honorable One."
"Speak!" Degrett commanded him.
Brinbek raised his head "I've just received word... there are two Antazi approaching the Southern plateau." He shifted from foot to foot "It's been so long since they've come this close."
"Tell your guards to keep watch over them. They cannot be allowed to enter the city. Should they descend into the valley... send your best marksmen to deal with them."
"It's already been done" said Brinbeck.
"You're joking!" Alison interjected.
Degrett turned his eyes on her. "This is what is usually done in these situations..."
"But you can't just..." Alison quieted as Degrett's eyes narrowed. The feathers on his head ruffled slightly.
"Our meeting has ended, I suggest you do not concern yourself with this matter." Degrett slowly rose up from the throne. The guards quickly reached out to support him and they quietly made their way out of the room. Alison turned to Brinbek once they were alone.
"Show me this plateau" she insisted.
"You would not wish to see this... certain things must be done to protect the city." He seemed almost ashamed.
"Then I'll find it myself." Alison turned and strode toward the door. Brinbek followed her quickly.
The Doctor and Telk struggled up the crumbling path they had been traveling all night. It had been a long time since the Doctor's last "rest" if it could truly could be called that. Each time Telk persuaded the Doctor to sit down he would fidget and complain. He would even occasionally stand and mutter to himself before Telk could take his arm and settle him back on the ground beside the path.
"Antazi children are less difficult" said Telk.
"Are they? Well good for them!" the Doctor began removing his coat.
"What are you doing?"
"It's too hot out here" He stood and dropped the coat to the ground.
"I think it's best if you wear it all the same." Telk picked it up and draped it over his arm.
"You're the one who's cold, you wear it." He started along the path once more then stopped and turned to face Telk. "What happened to your beard?"
"My... beard?"
"Yes your..." he stopped speaking and gazed heavenward, seemingly lost in thought.
"We're turning back." Telk stated.
"Whatever for?" The Doctor turned back to the path and began moving up it. Telk followed reluctantly.
The next few moments of travel were surprisingly quiet. The Doctor's sole purpose seemed to be reaching the top of the plateau. Telk moved carefully behind him, wary of the path's crumbling edges. He knew from the old stories he'd been told as a child that this path led to the Toroth city, but how accurate those tales were he couldn't be certain. He never imagined he would ever be traveling to the Toroth with an alien being, and one that seemed to be slowly going mad. Still he couldn't leave the Doctor to face the journey alone, and he certainly had nowhere else to go.
Finally they crested the top. The Doctor cleared the edge first, scrambling up the last bit of trail and sending loose rocks bouncing down the path. He reached a hand down to Telk and pulled him to the plateau's relatively flat surface. For a moment they rested there, without any of the Doctor's complaints, then they stood and began to look at their surroundings. The plateau's top was windblown and bare. It's eroded surface leaving no place to shelter. The Doctor walked swiftly across it's surface toward it's far edge. He stopped suddenly, placing his hand over his eyes to block what feeble rays the morning sun was emitting. Telk moved quickly to his side. He gazed down the darkened valley.
"Beautiful!" he whispered. A river ran along the valley floor, it's northernmost part blocked by an imposing dam. High on the river's far side, imbedded in the valley wall, the Toroth city glittered with it's own light. The farther Telk looked, the larger and more grand the structures became. At it's center a clear building sparkled. "I thought I would never see it."
"So... that's how he means to do it" the Doctor's eyes scanned the length of the city.
"Who?"
"Malik!" he paced back and forth "Well I wont let him!"
Telk sighed. "You said Malik's weapon would be of no use here, remember?"
"I was wrong," he began searching the plateau side for a descending path "It was so simple... I didn't see it."
Telk peered over the plateau's edge. What little trail he could see was badly eroded. "I don't think it's safe" he called out, but the Doctor was already edging his way downward.
Brinbek stood at Alison's side as she stared at the riflemen by the river's edge. "I can't believe you're going to let this happen" she said darkly.
Brinbek extended himself to his fullest height as he watched the plateau "What would you have me do? It is my father's will." He looked at her imploringly "They may not come down this side, no harm will come to them if they choose another path."
"Let's hope they do then." Alison muttered.
One of the guards stood at attention, his eyes followed something moving slowly down the plateau's uppermost edge. "They're coming this way!" he called out to Brinbek.
Brinbek stepped forward and peered at the two figures, miniaturized in the distance, as they struggled downward. He turned to find Alison watching him. Closing his eyes, he gave the order "Do what you need to do... quickly." Alison turned her back to the guards as they took aim at the plateau's side. Then the first blast sounded in her ears, making her jump involuntarily.
Something collided with the plateau's edge. An explosion of rock and dust rose out of the trail above them. "What is it!" Telk screamed as he collapsed to the ground, hugging himself to it's stony surface.
The Doctor turned and gazed at the river below, four small dark dots stood on it's opposite side. "Projectile weapons? Impossible... the distance..." He was quickly interrupted by a second blast, this one closer to his head. He too dropped to the ground as a rain of loose shale fell on them. As the dust cleared the blasting seemed to have stopped. The Doctor crawled toward Telk. "Time to go I think."
"Thank the heavens" Telk breathed.
"Go now, quickly... you'll find my ship in the forest West of your village."
"Ship?" Telk cried out, his brows knit in confusion "You wont leave with me?"
"It's a large blue box... a crate. Inside is someone who can help. Now go!"
Telk rose slowly, keeping as low to the ground as he could. He stood for a moment, then another blast shook the slope beneath him. He began to run as quickly as he could, dropping the Doctor's coat as he scrambled up the trail.
Alison turned on the third blast. She gazed at the plateau. A small figure was wrestling his way up it's surface. Another was moving down the remains of a less than stable foot path. "At least one of them is turning back" she sighed. Then she spotted something black tumbling down the plateau's slope. At first it seemed like some sort of animal as it moved haphazardly downward. But as it glided off a steep edge projecting from the plateau's side the wind caught it and billowed it into a familiar shape. Alison quickly grasped Brinbek's hand "He's up there!" she cried out "Stop them Brinbek, the Doctor's up there!" A final blast reverberated through the valley as a section of rock beneath the Doctor's feet gave way.
"Hold your fire!" Brinbek shouted. The marksmen put their guns at level. As the dust cloud thinned, a small figure could be seen hanging from the newly formed precipice.
"We've got to save him! Please, take me to him now!"
The Doctor clung to the disintegrating rock, his fingers pinched white at he dug into it's gritty surface. A strange dizziness began to overtake him. He tipped his head back and let the sun fall over the closed lids of his eyes. An instant euphoria came over him as the sunlight hit his face. "Yes I see, I see it now..." a shadow fell over his eyes. He opened them. Far above him was Alison. Her silvery cloak blowing in the wind as her body hovered on the current, held aloft by a pair of ebony wings.
"Ah yes," He whispered "I understand you now Michelangelo..." his lips parted in a slight smile "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set her free."
His grip exhausted, and he felt himself fall.