Chapter 2: Stuck between a fire, and a hard place

Location: Temple of the Soul Guardians

The stars shone bright in the night sky. The daily rituals were done, and two of the present guardians had gone to bed. Aileta, sat on the steps, and watched as the lights of spirit world flicker away one by one. Ollrack was on watch duty that night, and wondered why Aileta hadn't already retired for the night. But at least it was something to do for the long boring night ahead. Ollrack walked up and sat down next to Aileta.

"What's on your mind?" He asked. He knew the answer…but he needed to get the girl to talk. She had been so off the last few weeks, not eating, not talking; she just kept looking forward, not answering. Ollrack owed it to his best friend to keep Aileta as beautiful and charming as when he left. He had to get an answer out of her. "Listen, I know how you feel, its tough losing a guy like him…but how do you think he'll react if he comes back and finds you like this." Aileta tilted her head and glared at him. But behind the anger Ollrack saw, was sadness, she was falling apart on the inside. She had everything before, loving husband, friends who cared for her, a home, a peaceful life…and not a care in the Void. But several weeks ago it all fell through her fingers.

Ollrack wanted to hold her hand and comfort her, but the closest hand to Aileta he had was robotic, he lost his real hand trying to help Aileta before.

FLASHBACK

His legs no longer moving, he dragged himself closer and closer to his staff. Soon he was close enough. He reached out to grab his weapon. His fingers were about to touch it, when a sudden shock of pain ran through his arm. His eye's widened as he saw what happened. Sicron stood over him, his sword separating Ollrack's arm from his hand. Ollrack withdrew his arm back, clutching it as it spewed blood. Sicron looked down at Ollrack's removed hand, still just inches from the staff, and smiled with pleasure, he returned to his thrown.

END FLASHBACK

Ollrack restrained himself, if he held her hand; it would remind Aileta even more why David no longer was with her. Still, he looked down at her delicate fingers…but something grabbed his attention. A small line of pink flesh ran along one side of her pointer finger. Curious, Ollrack reached out and grabbed her hand, and brought it in front of him to examine it, Aileta watching the whole thing with great displeasure. Ollrack slid his robotic finger gently along line. It split open easily and blood dripped out of her finger. "This wound is fresh…no more than a few hours old at most…Aileta, is there something you would like to share with me?" Aileta yanked her hand away and stood up.

"None of your business." She said coldly. She turned and stormed away to her room. Ollrack watched her go, knowing what the wound was…she did that to herself, it was only a minor cut, but if he didn't do something soon, she'd move on to something bigger, and he couldn't allow that.

"Damn it Sicron…why can't you make someone feel good for once!" He said as he punched the ground. He cursed to himself for a moment until he noticed a lone flame burned off in the distance. Ollrack tilted his head in curiosity. The ember suddenly took a life of its own and hoped its way toward Ollrack. His eyes widened as the flame bee-lined for him and picked up speed. Before he had a chance to stand up, the flame hopped into his face, and in a flash, he blacked out. Ollrack suddenly awoke in a black abyss. The temple was gone, the steps he was sitting on were gone, and everything was gone. There was only blackness. In a flash, a flame sprouted before him, and spread itself into a full circle around him. Ollrack spun around and looked for an explanation.

"BEEN A LONG TIME HASN'T IT OLLRACK?" Sicron said as he stepped out of the fire.

"You again? Oh, not nearly long enough, now where am I, what do you want…and how did you survive?" Ollrack shot at him.

"PATIENCE, ALL WILL BE ANSWERED IN THE TIMES AHEAD…NOW, YOU ASKED IF I WOULD MAKE A CREATURE'S LIFE BETTER FOR ONCE, DID YOU NOT?" Ollrack didn't like where this was going, Sicron had something planned, no matter how honest he talked.
"What's it to you…you should be dead right…that was making a lot of lives better. So why don't you crawl back to whatever hell-hole you were spat out of and stay there."

"TOUCHY, TOUCHY…WELL I HAVE A DEAL FOR YOU…AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, I HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE CREATURES SUBCONCIOULSY ALTER THEIR DECISIONS…TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. I CAN MAKE DAVID THINK THAT ALL IS WELL IN HIS MIND AND HE WILL RETURN HERE SAFELY. IN FACT, I CAN GUARENTEE HIS RETURN BY TOMARROW MORNING." Ollrack cocked his eyebrow; this was too easy, and too convenient.

"What's the catch?" Ollrack asked. Sicron chuckled.

"NOTHING TOO SERIOUS…JUST A QUICK CONVERSAITON WITH AILETA…YOU KNOW, TO CLEAR THINGS UP." This didn't seem right, was Sicron really turning over a new leaf? "OH AND I'LL BE TAKING YOUR OTHER HAND." Spoke to soon.

"What! Are you crazy…okay scratch that last question but seriously…what's gotten into your deformed brain?"

"IT'S A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL." Ollrack growled but thought of the reward. Ollrack sighed and held out his hand. "OH NO NO NO, NOT NOW, THAT WOULD RAISE SUSPICION WOULDN'T IT…I'LL TAKE WHATS MINE IN DUE TIME. AND I WILL SPEAK WITH AILETA NEXT TIME SHE HAS NIGHT SHIFT AFTER I TAKE YOUR HAND, I'LL EVEN ALLOW YOU TO WATCH IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER." Sicron smiled his famous ear to ear smile.

"Fine…but no funny stuff, you hear."

"AGREED, NOW…DO WE HAVE A DEAL?" He asked as he held out.

"No we don't…I need insurance, something I get in case you go back on your word." Sicron sighed and in his outstretched hand, he formed a simple cylinder with a button on top.

"THIS DEVISE WILL WARP YOU BACK THROUGH TIME TO THIS VERY NIGHT…BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE IT ONCE…AND IF YOU PUSH IT, THE DEAL IS OFF. SOUND FAIR TO YOU?" Ollrack glared at the simple devise and snatched it away.

"Deal." He said grabbing his hand.
"DEAL." Sicron agreed and with one shake Ollrack's world flashed and he was once again sitting on the steps of the temple. Was it real? Ollrack looked around for any sign of Sicron. He looked down on his belt, the time warp devise still hung there.

"Shit…I really did that…oh well, all for you Aileta." Ollrack stood up and walked inside. But as he did, a voice spoke to him in his subconscious.

"One more thing" it said, "this is our little secret" Ollrack complied with the voice and sat down in the corner to wait out the boring night.