'Hey guys and gals GhostNobody here, firstly I'd like to extend a massive thank you to you all for your continued support and love throughout this crazy adventure of ours, I can safely say that this has really tested me as a writer in so many different ways and I have enjoyed it every step of the way, all the ideas and thoughts you guys have been sending me have been fantastic and it's been a real challenge to not only keep up with them all but to try and work them into the story here and there. Secondly I'd once again like to extend a heartfelt congrats to Doug and Sandy on their upcoming nuptials, you guys have been with me since the beginning of this and I'd like to extend a personal thank you to you both for all your kind words and support, they really have helped to steer me in some rather interesting directions and I do hope that you'll stay with me when I start up other projects in the future, that also goes for everyone else out there reading this too, also I do hope that the wedding stresses aren't breaking you guys down too badly and if they are that my words help to relive some of that stress, in fact that's a point that I'd like to put to you all, as a writer I do this so that I can bring a little joy and excitement to people's lives, so that they can step out of their own head for a time and into mine, so that they can leave their problems and their worries behind if only for a time and just enjoy the trip through someone else's mind, if you can step back afterwards and feel a little better and a little less stressed, then I have done my job and that's my way of showing you guys the same love that you have shown me, so with one last big heartfelt thanks to you all, this is GhostNobody signing off and saying on with the show…'
'P.S. Sandy please don't turn into bridezilla and kill Doug before the next story starts ok? Although, bridezilla turns into actual zilla goes on rampage and kills city before being tamed by man of her dreams…'
Chapter 36: Let the Trials Begin.
When finally, Ryan was able to gain control of his mandibles again he tried to think of something to say, but what do you say to a Goddess?
Paya pulled her mandibles up into a slightly goofy grin that for some reason made Ryan grin as well, "It's ok my child you don't need to think of something clever to say I already know what you are thinking" she said in that honey sweet voice of hers,
"Sorry I just don't know what to say or how to act, I've never met a Goddess before" he said in a slightly embarrassed voice, Paya walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder,
"That's one of the things I love about you my child, you're always thinking about others feelings, that's the human in you for sure" she said, Ryan glanced at the living Goddess to his left and felt himself blush although he didn't know why, then something hit him and he turned his head to look Paya right in her bright silver eyes,
"I guess that means that I am going to die then huh?" he said, Paya cocked her head at him curiously,
"Why do you say that my child?" she asked,
"Well given you are Paya the Goddess of the hunt and you control who gets to join you on the eternal hunt in paradise and you are here talking to me, so I guess that means that my number's up as my father would say, I mean I don't mind if I have to die then I am ready, but I do wish I could have got to see Shena once more and say goodbye to her" he said with a sad tone entering his voice, a sudden high pitched laugh made his head snap to look at the Goddess again, she was smiling at him brightly with a shine in her eyes that hadn't been there before,
"Oh my child that's not why I am here" she said,
"Then why…?" he started but she held up a slender and delicate looking hand to silence him,
"I am here to see one of the Dream Warriors who are about to start a cultural revolution among the Yaujta that has been a couple of thousand years in the making" she said.
This little revelation both stunned and shocked Ryan, "Cultural revolution?" Ryan said looking surprised, Paya nodded still smiling,
"You don't know how long I have searched and how hard I have looked for the perfect candidate, but then I found him, your human father Jack Mason" Paya said,
"My father?" Ryan asked confused, Paya nodded again,
"The first of his kind, a perfect human Dream Warrior, but the abilities where locked deep inside him, so I made sure that the bad bloods took him and put him on that planet those pauks like to use to hunt, thus setting in place a chain of events that resulted in him awakening and realizing his Dream Warrior abilities though I do sense he does need a bit further of a push to fully awaken but I will take care of that in due course" Paya said more to herself thoughtfully than to Ryan, then she turned to face him fully,
"I don't get it?" he asked sounding confused,
"Simple by putting him there on that planet I set in motion the chain of events that led to you and your sister being born, the first perfect human/Yaujta hybrids to exist, the firsts of your kind and one of you is a Dream Warrior, you are set for great things Ryan, things that will change the Yaujta as a people forever" Paya said.
This little revelation stunned Ryan, this whole thing had been orchestrated by a Goddess and now he held the fate of an entire species in his hands, "But why? Why change the Yaujta at all?" he asked looking at her,
"Simple, as a race my people have grown stagnant, they refuse to embrace new ideas and to evolve with the ever changing universe around them, they have become so obsessed with their superiority and genetic purity that it's going to have an adverse effect in centuries to come, a darkness is coming and if something is not done to change the Yaujta now then in a few centuries the Yaujta will cease to exist and I cannot allow that to happen, the universe is going to need my people and their strength, but the Yaujta need humanity and then humanity will need the Yaujta, so you see they desperately need each other in order to survive but in order for that to happen the Yaujta are going to need to be forced to see the light and for that you and your family are the keys" Paya said in a rather solemn voice.
Ryan felt like the entire weight of the universe had just been dropped on his shoulders, the cryptic speech of the Goddess of the hunt had hit home with him, he'd just been told the fate of not one but two species rested on his and his family's shoulders, he really wished his father was here right now, he'd know what to do, nothing ever seemed to faze him and that was strength he could use right now, Paya smiled at him broadly, "Don't worry child you are stronger than you know and that part of your father shines through in you brightly, you have his empathy and his kindness to go with your mother's strength and determination, you'll do just fine young one" she said,
"How…..?" Ryan began to ask till he remembered he was speaking with a Goddess who could see right into his mind, she smiled even broader at this, then Ryan's determination fired up, he had been personally asked by the Goddess of the hunt to help save his people, both of them and he knew that he couldn't let her down, "What must I do?" he asked, Paya nodded approvingly,
"That's the spirit, I knew I'd chosen wisely with you and it's rather simple actually, go through the trials" Paya said, Ryan's mandibles dropped open,
"You want me to stand trial?" he asked incredulously, Paya nodded,
"Trust me all will be clear soon enough" she said, then with that she walked forwards and pulled Ryan's head forwards and kissed him on the forehead, as she did it felt like a veil in his mind lifted "Fight well my child" she said and with that she disappeared into a cloud of silver colored smoke that filtered right through the bars of the cell, Ryan just stood there watching the smoke dissipate,
"What the pauk have I just agreed to?" he wondered to himself aloud.
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Shena Black Crest watched in fascination as Tik eleth piloted the ship they were currently tearing through the void of space in, Tik had told her of how her and Jack had valiantly liberated it from the bad bloods the first time they had fought them.
Right now Tik eleth was using the ships sensors to follow the ion trail left by the Arbiter's ships engines through the vast emptiness of space, if there was one thing that bad bloods never scrimped on it was sensors, they loved to have a massive advantage over their prey in that they could follow them anywhere. Shena was desperately trying to follow what the clan Matriarch was doing so that she could learn these advanced hunting techniques, right now she seemed to be using the ships sensors along with the computer to use the trail to predict a destination, she watched in awe as the Matriarchs fingers flew across the keyboard with insane speed and cold determination.
Suddenly Tik eleth growled a series of triumphant clicks, "Got them" she said pointing at the screen, Shena looked where she was pointing and saw a large mass in space highlighted in red,
"What's that?" she asked,
"That is the Shadow Claw clan ship" Tik said in a dark voice,
"He's taken Ryan back to the clan ship?!" Shena exclaimed, Tik nodded darkly,
"I hope you're up for a fight young one, because I don't think they're going to be very happy to see us" Tik said, Shena growled and balled her fists,
"They abandoned me on a planet to die like I was vermin just because I dared to fall in love with someone they don't like, then worse than that they take the male I love from me, I'll kill every one of them with my bare hands if I have to" she growled in a rather menacing voice for someone so young, Tik clicked her approval and nodded her head,
"The Shadow Claw clan is made up of some of the best hunters and warriors in the galaxy so it might just come down to that, plus you may find yourself fighting against your own flesh and blood, are you ready for that?" Tik asked, Shena growled,
"They were once my family, but they proved themselves unworthy of my love and my loyalty with what they did to me, I was always looked down on because I'm small, they just laughed at my triumphs and were fast to hold up my failures as examples of why small people are inferior, but when they condemned me for daring to live my life the way I want and took the male I love from me for nothing more than falling in love with me and daring to exist, they crossed the line, they are already dead to me now" Shena said in a very cold voice, Tik clicked her mandibles before turning and placing a large hand on the young huntresses shoulder,
"You will get your vengeance young one and we are going to get my son back, do not fear you will feel his arms around you again, also do not count him out just yet if I know my son he will be fighting his way back to you right this second" she said, Shena looked the Matriarch in the eye and she saw such a fire in those bright purple eyes that it lifted her spirits and filled her heart with determination, she smiled and nodded at Tik who also smiled at her, "Let's get you ready for this fight" she said and with that she stood up and led the young female out of the cock pit and to the ship's impressive armory, she and Jack had kept it well stocked with a variety of weapons and armor that both of them had made just in case something like this ever happened. Shena's mandibles dropped open as she saw the huge verity of swords, spears, wrist blades and even plasma casters that filled the walls, "Hmmmm this one I think" Tik eleth said picking up some armor from the walls, it was a silver black and covered in runes and symbols that Shena didn't recognize, Tik turned and handed it to her, as Shena took it she realized that Tik herself was wearing something very similar, she didn't want to question the Matriarch so she took it and began to strip off her existing armor so she could replace it with this new much stronger looking set.
As she put the pieces of armor on she was amazed at how light it was and how easy it was to move in it, after she was finished she looked at herself in a full length mirror that was next to the door, the silver black armor seemed to really match her black skin and it it really did make her look rather mean, "It fits you well and it really does suit you" Tik eleth said appearing behind her,
"It's beautiful" Shena said, Tik clicked her mandibles happily,
"My beloved life mate made it from scratch with his bare hands as he did all of the weapons in this room, well except for the plasma casters, I made those" Tike eleth said proudly gesturing to the massive verity of weapons in the room, Shena looked at her in surprise,
"Jack Mason made this armor!?" Shena said in surprise, Tik eleth nodded,
"He did it after I said that our clan needed its own armor that our enemies would come to know and fear the sight of, he makes pretty much all of our weapons and armor, I tend to do the more complex things like plasma casters and pistols, but you are wearing armor hand crafted by a Dream Warrior that bears our clan symbol young one and I have no doubt in my mind that you will do it proud" Tike said placing a large hand on the pauldron of the young huntress, Shena looked at her in shock but also in awe, then Tik handed her something else, it was a hunting mask made in the same metal as the armor, on the forehead was a set of what looked like a crossed rifles, "Take this as your official welcome into our clan young one" Tik said, instantly Shena tried to refuse the prestigious gift,
"But Matriarch I have not earned such a gift yet!" she said trying to hand back the mask, Tik growled,
"My beloved has a saying, a Mason does not take back that which is freely given, you earned your place in our clan the moment you made that soul felt declaration of love for my son in such a proud voice young one, so as far as I am concerned you are already part of us" Tik eleth said, Shena was humbled by such a welcome,
"I will do it honor" she said and with that she placed the mask over her face and it activated bringing up various displays, Tik purred approvingly,
"It looks good on you young one, they very image of a proud Yaujta huntress" she said as Shena looked at herself in the mirror, "And just think what Ryan is going to think when he sees you charging to his rescue dressed like this" she said with a sly smile, Shena was suddenly very glad she was wearing the mask as she could feel herself blush as she thought of her Ryan, but then she smiled and nodded, she was going to get her male back or she was going to go down fighting and she would do it for the honor of the clan that had welcomed her with open arms when her blood clan had scorned her.
Pretty soon after Tik eleth had finished fussing over her Shena Black Crest was kitted out, she was wearing full plate armor that was surprisingly light for its size, it allowed her real ease of movement and she could see the craftsmanship was exceptional, it supported a molded breast plate that took her femininity into account, in fact the cups on the chest were a little bigger than Shena was in that department, but Tik had shown her a trick with a pair of rolled up rags which made it sit more comfortably. The chest piece terminated just about her midriff show it showed her stomach off, then there was another set of curved inter locked plates like lizard scales that seemed to flow down over her hips protecting the sides of her thighs and hips, next up were the large shin guards and boots which amazed her because Jack had taken into account Yaujta clawed feet when producing these boots, instead of rounded toe caps each of the boots had individual toes on them that were flexible and covered in plate metal, the result was some sort of metal foot that while it looked odd was incredibly comfortable and increased her movement and balance no end over regular boots, plus the metal claws increased her grip no end.
On her hips were mounted a pair of light weight swords for close encounters, on her back was the Sword of Perseus the hilt protruding above her head, she still felt that there was something very strange about this weapon as it seemed to buzz every time she held it, it was almost like it held a secret that she was yet to discover.
The two large shoulder pauldrons she was wearing now supported twin plasma casters of a design she'd never seen before, both the cannons were shaped in the form of kiande amedha queen heads with their jaws forming the barrels, Tik had told her that Jack had made the hulls for these to celebrate their victory over a kiande amedha queen back when they'd first met after she had moaned that she wasn't able to claim it's head as a trophy, it took Shena a few moments to realize that these were Tik eleth's personal plasma casters.
Shena was admiring herself in the mirror in the armory, Tik was right in the fact that she looked like the very model of a proud Yaujta huntress, now all she had to do was prove herself to her new adoptive clan, she found herself hoping that Ryan was ok and as the shadow of the thought that they may have caused some form of harm to him slithered into her mind a shiver of cold slithered down her spine and her anger flared up, she vowed silently that if any harm had come to her beautiful male she would extract a price in blood from every pauking one of them, suddenly a large hand came down on her shoulder pauldron and she jumped, looking up she saw Tik looking down at her and she was smiling darkly, "Don't worry we're going to get him back unharmed, or we're going to tear that ship apart piece by pauking piece" she said, it shocked Shena that Tik had known what she was thinking,
"You're not a Dream Warrior too are you?" she asked, Tik laughed loudly,
"No just very good at reading body language and you have the stance of a hot blooded female who is ready to tear someone apart because they've taken something from her and I know what that something is, or should I say who" she said smiling, Shena sighed thankfully, two Dream warriors that could get into her head was quite enough, "Ok let's get ready we're on approach and I have no doubt in my mind that we're gonna to have one hell of a fight on our hands" Tik said, Shena nodded and followed the Matriarch to the bridge of the ship to be greeted by the truly awesome sight of her old clan ship, she'd almost forgotten just how vast it was, her resolve almost wavered at the sight of it, fighting through this thing was going to be a monumental task, but then an image of her beloved Ryan flashed into her mind and she clicked her mandibles angrily, she was going to get him back or she was going to die trying, she would not waver, Tik looked at her young companion and instantly felt the determination coming of her in waves, she nodded her head approvingly, this girl was truly worthy of her son's heart as she could clearly see that she was willing to give her all to save him or to die trying.
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The chains clanked loudly on the metal floor as Ryan walked, the two unfamiliar Arbiters had come to get him to take him to the trial chambers, they'd been really careful of his hands while securing his wrists, they'd obviously heard the stories of what a Dream Warrior could do if they touched you, in fact they'd placed some sort of sacks over his hands under the heavy metal cuffs to stop him making contact with anyone as he was led along the halls.
Both of the Arbiters were rather surprised by the young boy's demeanor as he was led along, they'd both expected him to be meek or down trodden or been scared of the fate that awaited him, but he was none of those things, he was walking proudly with his head held high with a very proud demeanor, there even seemed to be a raging fire in his bright eyes as he was led, it actually unnerved both of them as this was something that they'd never seen before, never in all their years of being Arbiters had they seen a prisoner cut such a proud figure, it was almost like he was looking forward to it and this worried them, what did this boy know that they didn't?
The chambers that Ryan was led into was massive, it was a large circular room with twelve seats partially hidden behind some sort of dark wooden bench like desk that ran the entire circumference of the room, directly in front of him was one seat that was far larger than any of the other twelve, it was more like a throne than a seat.
Each of the dark metal seats had a crest emblazoned at the head of it obviously indicating a family crest, next to it was the mark of the Shadow Claw clan, as Ryan's eyes scanned the room he noticed that high above them was a form of public gallery that allowed people to witness the trials and by the size of it there was going to be quite a fair sized crowd.
The Arbiters secured Ryan's chains to an anchor point right in the middle of a large circle that was dead center of the room, as they did people began to filter into the room from a verity of doors hidden all around it, twelve Yaujta both male and females took up the seats that made up the circle around him, as Ryan glanced at each of them he noticed they were all dressed in ceremonial armor of various different verity's, from the Arbiters memories Ryan knew that these were the family heads that made up a council of judges and that the largest seat at the top was for the clan leader, who was at this very second entering the chambers.
The clan leader was a rather large male of about seven-foot-tall and very heavily built, his black armor was decorated with a massive verity of small trophies that hung all over him, most of them appeared to be skulls of different shapes and sizes, as he entered all the others began to bang their hands on the bench in a sort of rhythm till he raised a huge metal gloved hand to silence them, now every set of eyes in the room switched from the clan leader to Ryan, suddenly Ryan noticed another figure standing near to the clan leader who hadn't been there before, it was the ooman female that he'd seen on the planet, the one he'd chased through forest, then as he looked at her in utter surprise grey smoke trails seemed to come from nowhere and around the room various other figures started to appear, males, female, ooman, Yaujta, there were hundreds of them all over the room, Ryan looked at them and he noticed that their attention was equally fixed on him and that's when he noticed Paya standing right in the middle of them all, she was smiling broadly at him and in an instant he felt his heart soar and his mind steel itself, she'd obviously brought them here to witness this and he wasn't going to disappoint her.
"You are Ryan of the clan Mason correct?" the clean leader boomed in a voice that sounded like someone striking a metal panel with an anvil hammer, Ryan took a deep breath,
"I am" he replied in his proudest voice,
"You stand accused of heresy and of corrupting one of our clan members with your deviancy" the clan leader boomed, Ryan gave him a cold hard stare which seemed to surprise the clan leader somewhat, he obviously wasn't used to having the accused trying to stare him down, "How plead you?" the Clan leader asked, Ryan took a deep breath,
"Not guilty" he said as loudly as he could, instantly a huge hubbub erupted in the room in both the public gallery and from the bench, one of the council members jumped to his feet banging his huge hands down on the bench,
"You defiled my beloved daughter Shena!" he yelled, Ryan turned look at him,
"Yeah so beloved that you'd rather let her rot on a planet where she could be killed or raped by bad bloods than let her be happy and live her own life" he said, Shena's father roared at the insult and jumped over the bench landing with a boom on the metal floor, as he headed towards the chained boy he was intercepted by the two Arbiters,
"Councilman if you raise your hand to a defenseless prisoner you will be struck down in dishonor" one of them said, Shena's father growled and eyed Ryan angrily who stared back at him equally as angrily,
"ORDER!" the Clan leader boomed so loudly that it echoed multiple times off every surface, the room fell silent and Shena's father returned rather meekly to his seat.
The clan leader returned his sight to Ryan but before he could say anything Ryan got there first, he'd had an idea and it was something he'd gotten from one of the stories that his Matriarch had told him when he was young, "Honorable clan leader if I must be put on trial although I have committed no crime then I demand that I be given the most ancient of Yaujta rights" he said, the Clan leader eyed him with both caution and curiosity,
"But you are not Yaujta are you boy?" he said with a rather sly smile on his mandibles, Ryan gritted his teeth behind his mandibles at the insult but he kept his cool,
"I am half Yaujta and is this not a Yaujta court? Do you not uphold sacred Yaujta law here? Or was I mistaken?" he said looking the clan leader in the eye, the clan leaders blood red eyes shone with curiosity at this boy's brazen attitude, but he found this rather entertaining, this young half breed had more fire in his soul than most of the adult warriors on this ship, it was almost a pity that he was going to have to sentence him to death, but he decided to humor this young half breed Dream Warrior,
"Very well, what right is it that you demand?" he asked, Ryan smiled at him darkly,
"I demand the most honored and ancient Yaujta tradition one that cannot be ignored" he said,
"Oh and what would that be?" the clan leader asked rather cautiously this time,
"I demand a trial by combat" Ryan said.