A/N hey folks, disappointed that I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, I guess you weren't impressed. Sorry, had an off day. Anyhoo back on track hopefully. There is some Aerrow torture at the end of the chapter, nothing too bad but hey thought I'd warn you. Enjoy
Aerrow was still staring at his former nemesis. The man had a sudden personality change. He'd just blurted out Cyclonis's master plan, the destruction of the Sky Knight Council, hoping that will plunge the Terra's into darkness. Without the council to regulate things the outer Terra's would be defenseless and the Sky Knights would be unable to communicate so unable to mount an attack.
"Aerrow, please you have to believe me!" Aerrow fought his logical side, it telling him he was being lied to, this was the Dark Ace, but the blue eyes were filled with guilt and fear, not snide and loathing.
"Say I do believe you, why tell me now, you've had me for five weeks, what makes today special." Aerrow caught Ace's eyes turn to the headdress. He picked it up and examined it. It seemed to be Skytaniam, with five jade green crystals dotted around it. And the Dark Ace was avoiding looking at it.
"I can't explain it to you; I'm not permitted to talk about it. Let's say me and Jewel have a lot in common, if not blood."
Aerrow felt answers slid together like pieces of a puzzle. The crystals in this stupid tiara thing were the same as the ones in Jewel's jewelry.
"Ace, are these controlling crystals?" Ace didn't answer, that told Aerrow more than it didn't. "Who holds the master crystal? Ace?" Aerrow could see Ace's face grow paler. "You can't talk about it at all can you? Great. You have to let me go. You could come with me. Distance obviously affects these things, though why you can't talk about it while you're not even wearing the damn thing is beyond me." Ace looked at Aerrow fearfully.
"Ace, I can help you, Piper, my navigator, she's nearly as good as Cyclonis, she can break this hold. We just have to get back to the condor." Ace nodded his head and the two men got up to run towards the hanger. They both skidded to a halt as they saw Snipe standing in the doorway. He held Jewel by the throat and he was smiling.
"Dark Ace, you wouldn't betray our master would you? I don't know if I could watch you fall from your pedestal, well not without recording it for future viewing." Snipe laughed at his own joke. Snipe threw Jewel into the room and Aerrow caught her before she fell on the floor. As she stood up Aerrow could see her face was stoic as usual. The Dark Ace must hold her master crystal, he thought.
"I'm sure master Cyclonis will want to meet your guest. If you'll just release him to me." Ace stepped up to him.
"You sniveling ungrateful fool. If you think you can take what is mine you are mistaken. You have never bested me in a bout, and I will beat you again." Ace didn't get to call Snipe for a challenge. Ravess walked through the door and shot Ace with her bow. The arrow was carrying a paralyzing crystal and Ace fell to the floor. Ravess lifted his headdress from the floor and placed it back on his head.
"There now, that's better; we'll just keep this little moment of madness between us."
"Ravess, you can't be serious, if the Dark Ace is disgraced,"
Ravess interrupted him. "Then the Talon's will have no commander and no idol to look up to. Do not think me a fool brother, this man prevents us from rising in the master's eyes but he has his uses. Anyway, the capture of the infamous Storm Hawk will elevate us slightly. Come brother, we shall take him together."
Aerrow moved in front of Jewel and readied for a fight when Ravess shot him. "Did you think I was going to fight you boy, don't be stupid." She beckoned for two talon's to lift Aerrow and bring him and the girl with them. Snipe waited till his sister had swept from the room before kicking the Dark Ace in the stomach. It wasn't quite as satisfying because he couldn't cry out but it did make him feel better. A few more sharp kicks to the prone body in front of him put him in a fabulous mood and he went to leave. Something shiny caught his eye and he bent and ripped a crystal from around the Dark Ace's neck. He thought it was pretty and would maybe make a good gift for Ravess, she liked green.
Aerrow finally gained movement in his limbs just before he was dumped into a cell on Cyclonia. He'd tried to track his movements through the castle but being unable to turn his head make it difficult. Jewel had been tossed into a cell two down from him. She had not acted like any of this affected her, but they were far enough away for the crystals to stop acting. She should be able to think for herself, as long as the Dark Ace keeps away from Cyclonia. Aerrow felt his body object to his moving around after being thrown into the cell like a sack. He stood and stretched out. He could not afford to grow stiff if he was going to escape.
Unfortunately, the guards all knew to be very careful around him. He was getting the full Sky Knight treatment, three guards waiting ever time the door was opened incase he tried something. He waited to see what they were going to do with him. It was the third day of this treatment that Ravess turned up. She loped a crystal into his room through the barred window on his door. It exploded in a puff of smoke and Aerrow felt the world grow dark.
Aerrow didn't think it was possible to wake any where worse than a Cyclonian prison cell but he was wrong. Cuffed to a wall in a torture chamber was definitely at the top of the list. He'd been stripped to the waist and the sharp stones of the wall behind him dug into his skin. He had no idea how long he had been hanging there but his shoulders were burning.
Master Cyclonis was sitting to one side of a large table fiddling with something Aerrow couldn't see. Aerrow looked around the room and then wished he hadn't. There was a body in a Talon uniform hanging on an adjacent wall. Aerrow couldn't even determine whether is had been a man or a woman. He didn't wasn't to think too hard about what could have mutilated the face.
He was broken from his thoughts by the young master rising and turning towards him. Cupped in her hand was a steel grey crystal. It was covered in sharp edges; even Master Cyclonis had blood dripping from her hands; her manic grin and slightly scary eyes notwithstanding.
"Do you recognize this crystal sky knight?" She smiled pleasantly as the blood dribbled from her fingers.
Aerrow didn't answer her. She raised the crystal up, as if to give him a better look. He pulled away from it as much as he could but she held it right at his face. He could feel the blood from her hands drip into his chest; it left wet feeling trails as it slid down. He grimaced as the crystal touched his face. It stung and he felt blood trickle down his cheek.
"This is a spear crystal sky knight; it likes to cut through skin. The slightest pressure will slice you open. I could push it through your whole body with no effort. Of course I'd cut my hand but it would be interesting to see who'd say uncle first. I don't have an uncle; do you have one sky knight?"
Aerrow always knew Master Cyclonis was a few spare parts short of a skimmer but this person in front of him had lost her mind. No wonder even the great Dark Ace had to be controlled by crystals. Aerrow spotted a familiar green crystal hanging round Cyclonis's neck.
"I see you have discovered my Dark Ace's little secret. He's a dear boy but so squeamish. Even gave him a little play mate but he seems to have grown bored of using her. Oh well she can be replaced. It will be interesting to see how far the controlling crystals can be pushed. Can they overcome even the human survival instinct?" Cyclonis wandered away from Aerrow, lost in her thoughts. "I wonder if I could get her to push this beauty into herself." Cyclonis lifted the spear crystal up to the light. Aerrow watched the blood pour out of the fingers holding it. The grey surface was drenched in her blood. She walked back over to Aerrow and held the crystal up to his face again. This time she slashed it down the front of his chest, from the left of his neck to his right hip. His whole torso burned as the crystal sliced deeply into it. He felt weak as the girl grinned wider as she stared at the gash she had made. She grasped the side if the cut and pulled it to see inside better. Aerrow let out a gurgled scream before passing into blissful unconsciousness.
A/N well that's six chapters out now, I'm proud of me. Just a warning for any silent readers,( i.e. non reviewers it ok as long as you enjoy the story) and the faithful few who review, its my birthday this weekend so I may not get another chapter out till Monday.
Prize for anyone who can guess my age correctly.
Cheers
XXX