Alien Courage (Rise of the Empress) (12 page)

 Suddenly a shot rang out and the largest male
wolf let out a yelp and ran off only to fall thrashing in the red stained snow.
The other wolves stood shocked, looking around hastily to see where the sound
had originated. Another shot rang out and another wolf yelped, jumped high in
the air and fell thrashing to the ground. Brakin and Sasra both reacted and
levelled their guns and fired. A large noise erupted with a huge cloud of white
smoke. Two wolves dropped dead at the close range and the others panicked,
broke formation and ran off.

Url
stepped around from a low hanging branch putting his
ramrod back along the underside barrel of his gun. He walked over to a wounded
wolf and with a quick blow from a small traders axe he had hanging from his
belt, killed it. He walked through the slush to the three men, now very relieved
to see him.

Brakin greeted his friend and placed his hand on his
shoulder. “The spirit is strong with you, thank you,” Brakin said still gasping
for breath in the freezing cold air.

“And you,”
Url
replied. Then
he looked at Sasra pulling his clothing off to get to his arm. “Hurt?”

Sasra looked at
Url
and
smiled. “Only hurt, not dead. Thank you and thanks to the Great Spirit,” he
said.

Teni patted
Url
on the back
and thanked him. The three men put their attention on Sasra. A wound of that
type can kill quickly; luckily the wolf’s teeth did not penetrate very far
through Sasra’s thick coat. Each contributed a small portion of herb they all
carried in small pouches. Added with Sasra’s own supply the strength would be
stronger. The herb has very strong antiseptic qualities and was very difficult
to find, it was very valuable. However, it stung like many wasps when applied
to a raw wound. They acted quickly as Sasra was going blue with the cold now
that his arm and upper body was exposed. They mixed a little melted snow water
in a leather pouch he kept under his clothing and added the herb. Brakin made a
paste with his knife. While
Url
and Teni held Sasra
between them Brakin forced the paste into the teeth marks on Sasra’s arm.

Sasra’s arm felt like it was on fire. His eyes opened
wide and quickly shut tight. He didn’t scream but the guttural noise coming
from his throat said enough. Brakin finished and poured a little water from a
skin he kept close to his body, as they all did, on Sasra’s wound. His eyes
were still tightly closed. Brakin bound the wound quickly with a little piece
of fabric he got from the Traders. He assisted Sasra to get back in his clothes
quickly and when finished
Url
slapped Sasra hard on
the back.

“Spirit of wolf good!
Make run fast,”
Url
said and
roared with laughter. All four men laughed, Sasra only briefly, still grasping
his burning arm.

Url
quickly became serious again as he looked around,
then up at the sky. The wind began again and low racing clouds were now broken
and stars shone in the twilight. Brakin followed his gaze and knew it would be
very cold soon, cold enough to kill quickly. They needed shelter and warmth.

“Ah, we eat,”
Url
said
spotting the trampled carcass of the moibla Teni had shot. “Then rest.”

The men quickly took the back legs off the moibla and
ran to a ravine a little way to the east. They found a cave and while
Url
and Teni gathered fire wood, Brakin started building a
snow and ice wall at the cave’s entrance. Sasra prepared the meat and started
the fire. Soon the men had a hot meal and with only a small entrance left for
ventilation were soon sound asleep as the wind roared outside. They silently
agreed that before they slept that no bears would find them.

The Black Priest sipped his drink slowly, savouring
the taste. The drink was made from the fermented root of a very potent variety
of deadly nightshade. The narcotic effect lowered the metabolism of his body to
such a degree it negated the lethal effect of the poison; to a humanoid one sip
would be lethal. This was his third. His other taste concerning young humanoid
boys had been satisfied earlier to a most agreeable conclusion.

 Another black robed Priest entered his chamber
and stood looking out the window. From the great height of the tower he could
see the Palace below. His robe moved rhythmically from the waist down.
Occasionally the tip of his tail slipped out from under his robe to swish back
and forth across the floor. The rhythm pleased the Black Priest and he finished
his drink.

“When is it time Master?” Priest Filo said hissing his
words.

“The time is now, my friend. Our wait is over, are you
ready?”

Filo spun around and a loud hissing sound came from
under his hood, his tail moved faster.

“Good, the Trigeals will soon be busy with problems of
their own. The Palace is vulnerable with the Emperor absent. Let us go,” the
Black Priest said standing up and then shuffling to a cabinet where he took out
a cloth wrapped object and slipped it into his robe.

The two Priests moved with fluid motion, their heavy
black robes covering every aspect of their bodies. They made their way to the security
section of the tower. Two android guards bowed their heads and opened the doors
of the transporting cylinder. The Black Priest and Filo entered the cylinder
and the doors closed behind them, in an instant they were transported to the
Palace.

They left the transport cylinder and made their way by
secret passages to the corridor adjoining the Imperial Court to the inner
Palace where the Emperor resides. The Emperor had recently postponed all
audiences and left the Palace. He had not yet returned. The two black robed
Priests stood in a shadowy alcove and waited.

Empress Lacerta made her way out of the Imperial
Court. She had to stand in the place of her husband during his absence and was
exhausted making excuses why she now represented the Emperor when the
dignitaries were promised an audience with him. Her patience was tenuous and
the Captain of the Guard remained silent while escorting her back to her
personal chambers. As they turned into the corridor leading toward the
Empress’s private chambers, a black robed figure materialised in front of them.

The Captain quickly stepped forward between the Priest
and the Empress, his hand firmly on his light enhancement weapon drawing it out
of its holster. “What do you want?” the Captain said clearly with deadly
intent.

“Captain… Why do you resent me so? I wish no more than
to present the Empress a gift from the outer reaches of the Confederacy. Many
gifts are never acknowledged from those whose loyalty is unquestionable. A Confederate
subject has forwarded a gift of great history.”

“Captain!
Let him present the gift. I do not wish to wait here
while you argue with this Priest,” the Empress said knowing the Captain was
capable of anything and he was wasting her precious time.

‘My Lady!
I cannot allow any divergence from my standing
orders. I insist you enter your chambers with no interference,” the Captain
stated quite loudly.

“Please my Confederate friends, I wish no
confrontation on my behalf. The gift is a simple dagger from the extinct system
of
Pryros
. A descendant from the Royal Order of that
time found it recently while on a mineral exploration on the old planet. The
offering is nothing but this simple blade,” the Black Prince said revealing
from his cuff a cloth rapped object.

The Empress moved forward and stared in awe as the
Black Priest unveiled the object. He revealed an artefact which predated
anything in her collection.  The dagger was from an age without written
history. It predated anything known prior to the Trigeals and anything she had
ever seen. Her eyes lost their composure, she simply had to have it, decision
made.

The dagger had a simple metal blade with rudimentary
forging marks still discernible and roughly engraved symbols were carved into
the remnants of the animal horn handle. Its appeal was unavoidable with the
roughly forged metal hilt, big chips of it were missing and it had been worn
thin over the countless millennia. Nothing like it was of Confederate origin.
This was an original artefact from a civilisation long gone.

The Captain activated his light weapon and the
shinning lethal shaft materialised in his hands. The surrounding area
momentarily darkened as the weapon gathered whatever available light existed.
He placed it within an inch of the Black Priest’s chest. “No one is permitted
to conceal any weapon within the Palace, drop it or your life is over,” the
Captain said as he moved his light beam a little closer to the Priest, the
ionising odour incumbent with concentrated light filled the air.

“Oh Captain, it’s beautiful, I want it, I want it,”
the Empress said thrilled at the thought of having such a thing and giving the
Captain a sharp look.

 “Do not attack things you do not understand
Captain. Please put your weapon away.” the Black Priest said calmly and dropped
to one knee presenting the blade to the Empress. Her fingers extended downward
toward it and she felt the simple bone handle. This was the moment the Black
Priest was waiting for… he lifted his finger from his flat palm presenting the
dagger and made the faintest contact with her finger. She felt its touch and
immediately felt weak but comfortable. Her eyes rolled slightly as his hypnotic
trance took effect. His finger slid forward and contacted her flesh solidly strengthening
the trance as she gripped the dagger. The Priest let go of the dagger and stood
up whispering so lightly the Captain didn’t hear, “see me alone,” he said,
stepped back and bowed.

The Captain’s attention was diverted only momentarily
as he watched his light beam arc back into his handpiece safely. The Empress’s
gave him a sharp look. The Priest’s timing was precise. His hypnotic suggestion
had found its mark.

The Empress held the ancient dagger in her hands, to her
it was beautiful. “Captain, you will retire while I add this new item to my
collection,” the Empress said without taking her eyes of the dagger.

“My lady I cannot permit such a thing. I insist I
escort you to your chambers,” he said looking at the Black Priest and sensing
the horror this creature possesses.

“Captain!
Do not question me. I wish to thank this man and then
retire, you may go,” she said sternly.

The Captain seethed and gritted his teeth. He knew his
Empress and her stubbornness. With great reluctance he turned to leave. “I will
alert the Emperor of your visitor and of your new acquisition,” he said
holstering his light weapon and stormed off.

“I apologise for my Captain’s behaviour,” the Empress
said, feeling slightly giddy.

The Black Priest rapidly extended his withered hand
out of his robe and grasped the Empress’s arm firmly. His hypnotic effect now
complete and deepened rapidly. He felt her mind melt in his grasp. “Take myself
and my friend somewhere safe,” he commanded. Filo stepped out from behind a
statue in the shadows. The Empress obeyed without question and led the two
Priests to her waiting chambers. The room had sleeping quarters and food
dispensers; it was used for personal guests while they waited for her personal
audience. The Empress stood in the room with a blank expression on her face.

“I have someone I would like you to meet, is there a
bed?” the Black Priest asked.

The Empress walked into the adjoining room and pointed
at the bed.

“Please lay on the bed, Empress, it will be more
comfortable for you,” the Black Priest said softly.

The Empress lay on the bed totally unaware of what she
was doing.

 Filo moved to the side of the bed and a long
hiss came from inside his robe. Two hands with claws at the end of its fingers
came out of his robe and shed the garment from his body. A tall upright half
lizard half humanoid stood at the edge of the bed. Filo was a celapod, a
thought to be an extinct species. His half humanoid, half lizard body had grey
green scales and they were covered in a thin tough slime. His tongue flicked
out to taste the air from his oversized mouth. His eyes were humanoid in
appearance but glowed red, his face was covered in small delicate scales which
reflected iridescence blue green with the play of light. His broad thick tail
quickly tapered quickly down between powerfully muscled legs and swished back
and forth.