A Change in the Winds
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
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Chapter 14
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Keith studied the man who stood across from him. He knew that with an unknown enemy, he was at a disadvantage. Having not seen the stranger's fighting techniques, he had to find a way to work out what he would do, and counter any attacks the man would try to initiate.
However, Keith knew he couldn't over exert himself. The crash landing on the mesa had injured him when he was thrown against the control panel of his lion. He could feel his muscles tightening in his abdomen, meaning that he had either broken a rib or bruised an organ. Both, would mean he couldn't fight as well as he could. He hoped that the stranger would not pick up on his injury.
Rolsin smiled as he stared at the young Captain. The stance was perfect. He was at a distance that would anticipate any attack, and defend against it, and he also, if he were to, had enough time to initiate an attack move of his own.
Though, he decided that he would take the initiative. He wanted to test this man who stood before him. The man who commanded the most legendary team throughout the Galaxy Alliance. Skilled in combat, to whom Prince Lotor himself couldn't even beat. Test his own loyalty. His resolve. His devotion to this Planet and its people.
Keith watched as the man ran toward him and readied for any attack. He then reacted as the man in the armor delivered a blow as he blocked it. He then countered with a sweeping kick that connected with the attacker's abodmen, but the amor he wore protected him from the injury. Keith quickly compensated by delivering a punch to the mans face which sent him back.
As he regained his balance, Keith winced a bit as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. Rolsin smiled at him as he saw the pained expression in his opponent's eyes.
"You may have cracked my armor, captain, but unlike any other armor you're familiar with, even in this state, it remains strong," Rolsin stated. "Any more of that type of contact, and you will have your legs broken."
"All that means is I aim higher," Keith stated. "Your head is exposed to me. That's all that matters."
Rolsin smiled. "We shall see."
Rolsin attacked again, this time he targeted his attacks to strike the captain near his abdomen. Keith had to block each blow knowing that if any more injury is caused to him, he would not be able to continue to fight against him.
Keith then saw and opening in the attacks and as the man tried to deliver another punch to him, he was able to duck under him, using his leverage to support his weight on the ground as he delivered a kick to the man's head. He then used the momentum to push himself into the air, as he released his wings, to gather enough momentum to deliver another punch that sent the man toward the ground below. Keith landed on the ground as he stood and watched the man slowly sit up.
Rolsin wiped the blood that formed at his lips. He smiled, mostly to himself, seeing that the Captain was able to work in a defense using all aspects of his own talents. Using the momentum created by his wings, he had gathered enough strength to deliver a punch that felt like he had ran straight into a wall.
"Are you going to give up now?"
"You are definitely a true Vallusian, Captain," Rolsin stated. "You haven't even trained under them and yet you've been able to figure out their techniques. Im truly honored."
"So, you know of Vallis?" Keith asked.
"Under Vellum's rule, long ago, he had an alliance with Triasus," Rolsin stated as he got to his feet. "Suffice to say, we weren't happy that Kellar broke ties with us when he took over. We really were envious of that precious ore that was found there."
"I guess that was the only good thing Kellar did under his rule," Keith stated.
Rolsin smiled. "Well, Captain, its past five minutes," he stated. "I give you that you were able to beat me in that. Well, then I must put an end to this and stop playing games."
"Rolsin, that would be unfair."
Keith spied the two others who stood to the side. 'Rolsin, is it?'
"We must teach these upstarts that they have no hope in fighting us," Rolsin answered. "Thank you, Captain. It has been a pleasure."
Keith watched as the man started his charge toward him. He readied himself, but as the man approached, Rolsin disappeared in front of him. Caught off guard, he wasn't prepared as sudden blow to his side caused him to step back. Keith cradled his side as he looked up, to see the man appear just before him.
"You see, Captain," Rolsin stated as he grabbed him by his neck with his right hand. "I already know you. I know how you fight, and I know your weaknesses. I know where your loyalty lies, and I know you would do everything to protect the ones you care for."
Rolsin squeezed his neck, as he lifted Keith off the ground.
"You do not realize what you are getting yourself into," he stated as he pulled his left arm back. "Voltron will not be able to defeat us. No force in the Galaxy Alliance will be able to."
Rolsin then punched Keith hard in his stomach which sent the captain flying backwards. Keith let out a groan as he landed on his back, and slid for a few feet before he came to rest on his front. As he tried to push himself off the ground, but found his strength gone as the pain from his side and abdomen shot through him like fire.
"That crash probably injured you more than you realized, Captain," Rolsin stated as he slowly walked up to him. He then smiled. "The armor we wear is not just for our protection, but it amplifies the wearer's own strength and speed. If you continue this, you will end up being killed."
"I...I rather die...than let a monster like you, destroy my home," Keith stated as he struggled to get to his feet.
Rolsin watched as he stood, struggling with the pain and inuries he sustained. He marveled at the inner strength he held. Breathing in deeply, Rolsin smiled.
"Still going I see," he stated.
Keith breathed in deeply as he blocked all the pain he felt. He then closed his eyes as he cleared his mind. He knew that any contact by Rolsin, it would probably be his last.
Zeya slowly opened her eyes and as her vision cleared, she saw the scene before her. She gasped as she saw the man in the red armor confront Keith. She slowly got to her feet, trying to find her balance. Rolsin had the upperhand, she knew it. Keith was in no shape to continue fighting him.
"Keith! No!"
Rolsin's attention immediately turned to her, and this was the opening Keith needed. Leaping into the air, he flipped over him grabbing Rolsin from under his arms, then lifting the man into the air as he flew straight up into the air above them.
"Your armor can protect you against straight physical blows, but I wonder how much it would protect you if you fell from this height."
Keith felt him struggle in his hold and immediately let him go. They were at least a few hundred feet up and he knew the force would be enough to destroy the armor the man wore. For insurance however, Keith flapped his wings to gain speed as he caught up with the falling man. He then flipped over in the air and delivered a power kick to the man's abodmen that sent him straight to the earth below.
Zeya gasped as she watched the man in the red amor hit the ground a such speed, that he caused dirt and debris to fly everywhere. She then watched as Keith came to land just before her, but lost his balance as he nursed his left leg.
"Again, Captain, it has been a pleasure."
As the dust cleared, Keith noticed that the only thing lying in the ground before him was the armor, but Rolsin was not in it. He quickly turned around and saw that he was now standing near Zeya, as he grabbed her by her hair and pulled her toward him.
"I came here to collect her," he stated. "Having to fight you, was just an added bonus."
Keith stepped forward, but cringed when his left leg nearly gave out on him.
"Let her go!"
Rolsin's smile disappeared as he then charged toward the Captain, letting Zeya go for the moment as he delivered three punches that Keith could not block in time. With his last punch, he landed it straight into the center of his stomach, which signaled the end of this fight. He smiled as he leaned over to the Captain.
"The next time we meet, Captain, I will kill you," Rolsin stated. "And give my blessings to your mother. It has been a while since I last saw her."
Rolsin then let out a scream as he pulled back his arm. A small dagger had been thrown at him, which now laid embedded in his arm.
He looked around and saw two figures standing in the distance, wearing similar armor to that of his forces. One of the figures then rushed toward him, to encounter him in a fight. Rolsin dodged the attack as the other, came to help the Captain, before he fell to the ground.
"Risen, Relins, take the princess back to the command ship!" Rolsin yelled.
He watched as his brothers disappear from where they were standing and then appear next to Zeya. Zeya let out a scream as they grabbed her by her arms.
Rolsin then stared at the figure standing before him, and then smiled. "I thought I left you to die," he remarked.
"You should have made sure I did."
Zeya's eyes widened when she saw the man take off his helmet he wore. Tears came to her eyes when she saw that it was her brother.
"Now, let my sister go," Lotor demanded.
Rolsin smiled as he slowly stepped away, to join his brothers. "No, she has much to use to us," Rolsin stated as he pulled the dagger from his arm and threw it back toward Lotor. "Without her, the Voltron Force will be unable to find what they are looking for."
Zeya could only struggle against their hold on her. She then realized that even she went with them, she could still help them find the sixth lion ship. She quickly unfastened the armlet around her wrist and let it drop where she was standing. She hoped the clue she left in it, would be enough to help the Voltron Force figure out the last clue. The location that she had seen in her dreams. She knew that there was something to that vision that would help them find it.
"Good day, Lotor," Rolsin stated.
Before he could react, Lotor watched as they disappeared before him, Zeya letting out one final scream as she disappeared with them. He quickly turned around and saw that Anala was slowly laying her brother down on the ground, unconscious, being careful to not aggrevate any injuries he already had.
"How is he?" Lotor asked as he approached her. He slowly kneeled down to the ground.
"That last blow by that man probably injured him the most," Anala stated. "He can't even retract his wings."
Lotor slowly nodded as he retracted the armor he wore and dug through the satchel he carried. He then leaned over Keith as he ripped open his uniform top. He could already see the discoloration of bruising an internal bleeding starting to form on his lower left side of his chest.
"The crash probably injured him the most," he stated as he said as he felt around Keith's body for any more injuries. "Three broken ribs. Its a wonder how we was even able to fight that man in this condition."
"I can't heal this extensive an injury," Anala stated.
"He'll have to be looked after at the Castle of Lions," Lotor said. "Even then, recovery will be slow for this kind of damage."
"---a---anala?--"
Anala looked down as she met Keith's gaze. "---what...are you--?" his voice was strained, soft as he struggled to say anything.
"Keith," she said. "Dont move. You have multiple fractures and anything you do can aggravate them."
"---wher--where's Zeya?"
"They took her," she stated. "Sorry that we couldn't get here any sooner."
"--we?"
"Shh," Anala stated. "We'll get you back to the Castle. We radioed the others, so they should be here shortly."
Keith then winced as Lotor began to bind the area where his broken ribs were. He turned his gaze from his sister to find himself staring at the Doom Prince. Anala quickly reacted as she held him down, knowing that seeing the Doom Prince would cause Keith to move away.
"He will not hurt you," Anala said as she stared down at him. "He is here to help."
Keith could only meet her gaze as his eyes grew heavy. Whatever the reason that Lotor was here, he wasn't ready to deal with it now. The pain he felt was overwhelming, and slowly taking over his senses.
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Lance quickly found a spot to land, and immediately jumped down from his Lion as the he saw Neive land Blue in the distance. He made his way toward where the Black Lion laid and stopped as soon as he saw the scene before him. He reached for his blaster as Neive joined him.
"Lotor!" Lance yelled.
Lotor finished his bindings on the Keith as Anala met his gaze. She looked past him to see Lance and Neive standing at a distance. From their position, the scene before them probably didn't look good for them.
"Put away that blaster, Lance," Lotor said as he slowly got to his feet.
"Were you responsible for this?" Lance asked. "What did you do?"
"Offering support to your teammate!" Lotor yelled as he stepped toward the Red Lion pilot. "Why weren't you backing him up! He was shot down by the Triasian force, and none of you even noticed!"
"What do you mean support!" Lance yelled. "I'll show you support!"
Neive tried to hold Lance back, but the hot headed pilot broke out of his hold as he charged toward where Lotor was standing. Lance was then caught by surprised, when he got near, as Anala appeared before him, and with a hard punch, sent him toward the ground. Neive was quick to come to Lance's side as he helped the Red Lion Pilot recover from the attack.
Anala breathed in deeply as she stood before Lotor, staring at Lance as he met her gaze.
"Anala!" Lance yelled.
"You lay one hand on my husband, and you will be sorry, Lance," she stated. "I promised that no harm would come to him, and if it means hurting every one of you, I will."
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Rolsin walked into his room and as the door slid closed behind him, he let out a cough as he struggled to get to a nearby chair. He pulled open the shirt he wore, to see the bruising around his abdomen. He reached for the wine bottle that was on the table and took a drink from it.
"I can't believe he actually was able to break through the armor." Relins stood silent in the door to Rolsin's room as he looked at his brother. "No one has ever been able to do that before."
Rolsin stared at his brother, anger in his eyes. He took another drink from the wine bottle. "He shouldn't have been able to," he stated. "Do we have all the information concerning him?"
"As much as we were able to obtain," Relins stated. "But, there is Princess Zeya."
"What do you mean?"
"She was in contact with him, seeing the type of sorcery she used on us today, she may know more about the Captain than we do," he stated. "Rolsin, there is also something else I want to discuss with you."
"That is?"
"What we saw today, was what the Voltron Force was capable of," Relins stated as he entered the room, the door sliding closed behind him. "They were able to take out over half of our robot fighter fleet and none of them showed any signs of weakening. We've never gone up against a force of this nature before."
"What are you saying?"
"That we must turn to King Zarkon for help."
"Zarkon?" Rolsin asked. "Are you crazy?"
"I think I have something that would help us, and convince him that joining with our forces, would only strengthen his control, his power," Relins stated. "And payment for his help, he can take over one of our previously conquered planets that we have no need of."
Rolsin turned to his brother as he drank from the wine bottle again. "What is your proposal?"
"Well, it seems that Zarkons own children have turned against him," Relins stated. "Why dont we, embelish that fact a little more."
Rolsin smiled. "Yes, if we can convince Zarkon, he may be able to bring his witch with him, and we could use her powers against the Voltron Force," Rolsin stated. He slowly stood as he made his way toward his bed. "Have our forces pull out to the far side of Arus' moon. We will remain in orbit there until we can gather our forces together and replenish what has been destroyed."
"And Princess Zeya?"
"Make sure she is comfortable, for the time being," he said as he slowly laid himself on his bed. "Then when you think she is better, get as much information out of her as you can."
"And we still have yet to locate Siaras," Relins stated.
"Im sure the Voltron Force know of her traitorous actions," Rolsin stated. "They will deal with her. She is dead to us now."
Relins nodded. "Do you want me to send one of the doctors to tend to you?"
Rolsin shook his head. "Its nothing serious," he stated. "I just need some rest."
"If any of our spies run across any news concerning the Voltron Force, I will be sure to let you know as soon as possible."
Rolsin nodded as he laid down in his bed. "Relins, do not let Risen know of my injuries," he stated. "I dont want him to worry. He has always been the soft one."
Relins nodded. "Not a word," Relins stated. He then turned toward the door and it slid open for him.
"If Princess Zeya is unwilling to share any information she has, please have Amoris conduct the interrogation," Rolsin stated. "He has always been successful at that."
"Understood."
Relins slowly left his brother's room, and as the door slid closed, Rolsin closed his eyes. The images of his fight with the Captain of the Voltron Force haunted him. Never had he seen such strength, nor will from a fighter. And the more he dwelled on it, the more he wanted to see that he would have a chance to confront the Captain again.
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Dr. Gorma looked over his papers before adjusting the settings of the monitors that surrounded the bed that Keith was lying in. A heart monitor beeped as a nurse administered one last sedative for the day. Then he and she both left the room, drawing the curtains closed on their way out.
Coran and Allura waited for him as he came to stand before them.
"He's going to be fine, with a good amount of rest and recovery," Dr. Gorma stated. "He has three broken ribs, and a slight fracture in his left fibula and tibia. Slight bruising of the pancreas, though that means solid food will be hard to digest for a while. However, the attack on him was severe enough to put a strain on his heart, so any physical activities will only end up weakening him and slowing his recovery time."
"What kind of strain?" Allura asked.
"If he had taken another direct hit, by whoever attacked him today, to his chest, it would have killed him," Dr. Gorma stated. "The heart is as much as a muscle as any other in the body, and if you strain a muscle, it takes time for it to heal and repair itself. The heart is no exception. He was lucky today that whoever attacked him didn't aim directly for his chest."
Allura slowly nodded as she turned her gaze to the room Keith was in. "When can we see him?"
"Not today," Dr. Gorma stated. "I want him to rest and I dont want anyone giving him reason to not to. He's under heavy sedation, to alleviate any pain. With all the injuries he did have, its a wonder how he was able to fight off that attacker as long as he did."
"Thank you for your attention to this, Dr. Gorma," Coran stated. "We will make sure that your reccommendations are followed through."
Dr. Gorma slowly nodded. He then turned to Allura and let out a sigh. "If anything changes, Princess, I'll be sure to let you know first. He is in good hands. Trust me."
Allura turned to him, feigning a smile hoping to disguise her worry. "I know, Alan," she stated. "I know that you will do your best."
Coran cleared his throat. "Princess, there is another matter that we must tend to," he stated. "We should take care of that before a situation starts."
Allura looked at him and slowly nodded. She was actually not looking forward to doing this. Lance had told her everything when he returned to the Castle only hours before, and as much as she wanted to side with Lance on the situation, she knew that it would only alienate Queen Anala.
How do you deal with your most wanted enemy when he's married to your friend's sister?
And it pained her to know that not even Keith knew at this moment, that she was married to Prince Lotor.
"Coran, if you dont mind, I will join you in the conference room in a short while," she stated. "If Lance isn't able to keep in line, please have the guards escort him to his room."
"Princess, it would be understandable..."
Allura slowly shook her head. "As much as we may disagree, he is now our guest, and he shall be treated as such. As long as he is married to a ruler of a Galaxy Alliance planet, he is protected under their laws now. And deserving of the respect we give to all Alliance members."
Coran slowly nodded. Before him, was no longer the timid princess that he watched over. Before him, stood a young woman, who grew into her role as the Princess of Arus, and through her own experiences had become even wiser than he was.
"I'll be sure to keep everyone in line, while we try to difuse the situation," Coran stated. "Galaxy Garrison will want to be informed of this as well."
Allura nodded. "We will deal with protocol later," she stated. "Go on, I'll be there shortly."
Dr. Gorma then cleared his throat. "If you dont mind, I have some reports to file," he stated. "Princess, Coran, good day."
"Good day, Alan," Allura stated.
As both men left the infirmary together, Allura turned toward the room that Keith was in. She slowly made her way toward the room. She quietly stood in the doorframe as she stared in. She then made her way to the bed he was lying in, as the monitors beeped at every heartbeat.
It always pained her to see him this way. And it seemed that it was always at a time, when he was protecting someone, no matter who it was, that he suffered the most.
She reached over and brushed his bangs away from his face, and she noticed the slight discoloration as the bruising caused by the fight started to form. She had always admired him for the conviction he held in battle, and sometimes his stubbornness. She had found her strength in him, the same as she had found her care free attitude from Lance, her will from Hunk and her confidant in Pidge.
As she stared down at him, she dwelled on the situation at hand. She thought more on how he would probably approach it; how to deal with it. What would he do? What do you do with the most wanted man in the universe? And the more she thought, the more she realized that this was something that she had to decided on her own. That she had to face this as the Princess of Arus. As many times as she turned to her friends for their opinions, this was a situation that she knew, she could not ask their opinions on. This was to be her decision to make.
Allura let out her breath, after realizing that she had been holding it. She looked down at Keith, before breathing in deeply. She slowly leaned over him and kissed him lightly on his forehead.
"I turned to you many times for your support," she said more to herself. "I hope that you dont hate me for the decision I must make now. It is not to hurt you, but to help all those involved."
She took his hand into her own.
"I understand why your sister did what she did," she continued. "She's fighting to defend someone she loves dearly, and it isn't my place to deny her or blame her for that. I hope that you will understand her, and the decisions she has made. Its more than I could ever do. To admit..."
She then opened her eyes, and shook her head, smiling to herself as tears had formed at her eyes. "I admire her, for what she was willing to go through, to protect him from those that would seek to harm him," she added. "I hope to one day, find that same courage, to fight for the man..."
Then with a heavy sigh, she released his hand and placed it gently at his side, and brought up the blankets to cover him. She then leaned over him one last time.
"I hope to one day, find that same courage, to fight for the man that I love," she whispered.
She then leaned her head over as she lightly kissed him on his lips. As she pulled away, she breathed in deeply before wiping the tears from her eyes, slowly turnig to head toward the door. As she neared the door to the room he was in, she turned back to where he laid.
"Even if it pains me to never admit it to you," she said to herself.
With that, Allura left the small room.
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Neive had been at the infirmary to grab supplies from the Nurse's station when he happened upon Allura as she was speaking to someone. He was about to ask her where he could find some extra gloves, but it was at that moment, he realized that she was speaking about her current predicament about Lotor and Anala, and how the Alliance would want to deal with them, to Keith, who was sleeping in the bed in front of her.
Something in him caused him to freeze. Watching her nearly spill her every thought and feeling to an unhearing audience.
And then he saw her lean over him to kiss him lightly on his forehead. Neive could not believe his eyes as he slowly backed away from the room, only to end up in the dark room across. He nearly dropped the box he was carrying, but not wanting to make a sound, he quickly placed it quietly on the ground before him and used the door to hide behind. He left it open wide enough to see what else his cousin would do.
He listened carefully, somewhat wishing that he didn't catch her at such a private moment. He had been close to Allura when he was young, but at times, he felt so distant from her. He knew that growing up sheltered as she had done, there was many things about life that she was still innocent to. And when the members of the Voltron Force arrived for the first time, it probably had shocked her to the reality of life.
He knew this was probably hard on her. She wanting to be more like them, yet bound by her duty as ruler of Arus. A title she would have shared with him, had he decided to leave the Alliance to continue his education to take on as head of the Kingdom of Helena. Something that his uncle, till this day still wants him to do.
It was something he didn't want, and he almost felt guilty that he was now placing all the burden on her. During a time now, that pressure for her to continue Alfor's legacy, played heavily on everyone's minds. Since she was the matriarch, marrying was something that was being pushed on her constantly, and her continued efforts to not find a suitable husband was wearing thin many of the high lords patience.
Yet, unbeknownst to many, Neive had already known, for a while now, that it wasn't the pressure from the high lords that weighed heavily on his cousin. He was the first to notice it, when he had visited his cousin many years ago, when the Voltron Force first arrived. He saw the admiration she had for all her team members, yet it was the advice and opinions of their commander that she held in high regard.
Her reluctance came from a deep regret, that she knew that in all her power, she had found someone that meant dearly to her. And it pained her to fight against her heart, knowing that Arusian laws would prevent such a union.
Neive closed his eyes as he heard her utter those last words before she left the room. He too, could feel the heartache she felt. He understood what it is like to find someone, yet can do nothing to be with them. His hand instinctively went to the stab wound he was given by Princess Zeya only a few days before. Now that she was gone, he felt as if something was missing from him.
He breathed in deeply as he sank to the floor, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill. "I will find a way, cousin," he said to himself. "I promise."
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