The small group was greeted by the M'l'kai at the next temple. Jason saw that a series of glowing crystal orbs on short columns lined the walls. The M'l'kai were flanked by two Azalai, one of them with dark black wings as opposed to the natural white. The female M'l'kai held a cloth parcel in her delicate hands. The two M'l'kai bowed to Jason, and he returned it before trying to speak.
"Do not be troubled," the male M'l'kai said just as Jason opened his mouth. "We know of your troubles with the Children of the Sun. We have already sent word to the other M'l'kai. For now, please enjoy the hospitality of the Temple of B'rigl. We are the Children of the Future."
Jason, shocked by the obvious psychic nature of the M'l'kai paused for a moment, then responded. "Thank you." The Daughter of the Future raised the bundle she had been holding in her hands. Her calm, grey eyes met Jason's, and he felt soothed by them.
"This is the Amulet of B'rigl," she announced. "Please, accept it into your care and convey it to the gods with our blessing." She handed Jason the heavy mass, and he placed it into his bag. He then made a bow to the M'l'kai, which Charaustra mirrored.
*Thank you for your faith in us,* Charaustra told the M'l'kai. *It seems that others do not consider us worthy of our mission.*
"Please, do not allow yourself to be angered by the Children of the Sun," the Son of the Future requested. "They are contrary by nature, especially where the decisions of the Council of M'l'kai are concerned. It is not that they do not trust you; it is that they wish to assert their independence from the Council majority."
*It sounds as though they simply enjoy causing trouble,* Char muttered.
"Perhaps this is true," the Daughter of the Future admitted, "but the Council will convene, and they will see reason. In the meantime, we must keep you hidden. The offworlders are in the vicinity, and if they discover you here..."
"...all is lost," the other M'l'kai concluded. "There is a traitor among us, I fear. I believe the offworlders will soon find our temple of interest."
*We'll be waiting for them,* Char growled. *They'll wish they never came.*
"No," the Daughter of the Future exclaimed forcefully. "This is a fight you cannot win. You will be taken deep below the temple. There are tunnels there. Our Azalai will accompany you. When we send word, you can return to this chamber to collect the Amulet of K'dan. Until then, you must remain hidden from the offworlders, no matter what may conspire here."
"You must not return until word is sent," the Son of the Future stressed. "Do not let your heart guide you on the wrong course. If you engage in battle here, you will perish."
"You must go now," the Daughter of the Future told them. "Our Azalai will guide you."
"May the gods bless you and stay your course," the Son of the Future pronounced. The M'l'kai bowed to Jason once more. Jason, Charaustra, and Genhyl returned the bow; then, they silently followed when the Azalai slithered away.
The Azalai, both blue-skinned and grey-eyed, led the trio through a maze of empty corridors, passing through several hidden doorways in the stone. The halls became narrow and silent as they descended below the Temple of B'rigl.
*How long will we have to remain here?* Char asked, her question mostly directed at the Azalai.
*Not long,* the Azalai with the white wings said indeterminably. *We have brought supplies here beforehand, so you will be quite comfortable until the danger passes.*
Then you are sure the offworlders will come here? Jason asked them in thought.
*Yes,* the black-winged Azalai answered. *There will be many deaths. It cannot be helped.*
"What?" Genhyl demanded in alarm. "Why don't they run? We have the Amulet now; it is safe for them to leave."
The Azalai with the white wings projected a feeling of dissent. *If they do not stay and fight, you will be discovered. That must be prevented at all costs.*
*We can't just let them die,* Charaustra protested, electricity surging over her skin, causing it to reflect in brilliant shades of blue.
*But you must,* the Azalai countered. *Your mission is of the utmost importance. Our Azru give their lives to ensure that it will be completed.*
Jason shook his head. "We should have stayed and stood by them."
*Hopeless,* the black-winged serpent stated.
*I wish you would stop talking like that,* Char snapped. *Nothing is ever decided until it is done with.*
The Azalai quietly disagreed, and the rest of the walk passed in silence. Eventually, they arrived at a final secret door. It led to a chamber where bedrolls, food, water, and other amenities had been stacked. At a few hissed chants from the Azalai, the torches along the walls were lit, and the secret door sealed behind them.
"Will we be able to breathe in here?" Genhyl asked, looking around for air shafts.
*It will be safe,* the Azalai with white wings assured.
"Then I guess we better get comfortable..." Genhyl began arranging a bedroll for himself. After a few moments, Jason sighed and began doing the same. His mind was in a turbulent uproar, but he was still tired from all his travel. He lay down on the bedroll. It was comfortable enough, but he still stared at the walls for a time. His eyes fell on Char; she was pacing restlessly. When she noticed him watching her, she moved over to lay next to him.
*You should rest more,* she told him. *I cannot sleep now.*
All right, Jason said, but promise me you won't give the Azalai any trouble.
*Very well...* she agreed, but Jason got the distinct impression that she was still irritated with the way their mission had been going as of late.
We are almost done, he reminded her. Soon, we will have completed our mission.
*Soon...* she echoed.
Jason fell into a deep sleep, where he found himself back home, talking with Claurice. They were arguing, as they had often done. Claurice was yelling, No, I want to go. Let me go! For some reason, Jason knew that she shouldn't go. If she went, she would die. You can't! he yelled. I won't let you kill yourself like that. No! Claurice wouldn't listen. I must go! she kept saying.
Jason jerked away. Uncertain what had woken him up, he took a moment to let his head clear.
*I must go!* Charaustra's voice sliced through his mind. Jason immediately sat up.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Charaustra was very angry. Electricity was crackling in a mane from her back, and she was facing off with the two Azalai, who were blocking her way from the chamber. Genhyl stood slightly to the side, apparently trying to reason with her. Char's head snapped around, and she glared at Jason.
*The M'l'kai are up there. Alexei is there! They are going to die. We have to save them!* she said.
"Char, you heard what they told us. No matter what." he reminded her.
*I don't care,* she snarled. *They are sacrificing themselves when we might be able to help them. Nothing in life is decided until it happens. There is no way they can see all the possibilities. We might still be able to save them. Now, out of our way!* She snapped at the Azalai, swinging her head in an arc toward them. They hissed and flared their wings, but they did not back down. Tiny bolts of electricity began jumping from Char's skin to the floor, and the Vis Astrum was ice cold against Jason's ribs.
Jason quickly got up. If Char was going, he wasn't going to let her go alone. He took the bag and held it out, intending to give it to Genhyl.
"No, Jason," Genhyl said, seeing what the human wanted him to do. "You cannot go up there. The Children of the Future are not wrong. If you and Charaustra go up there, you will both die, and all will be lost."
*If you will not listen to us, listen to your friend,* the Azalai with wings of white pressed. Char snarled again, and sparks flew from her tail as she whipped it back and forth. A few of them hit Jason, and he felt a tiny jolt where they landed on his skin.
She's losing control, Jason realized, and he felt fear for Genhyl and the Azalai. We have to go. If we stay, she may hurt them.
"We have to go," Jason told Genhyl.
*Yes,* Char insisted. *We cannot let more innocent people die protecting us. We are capable of protecting ourselves. If the offworlders want to find us so badly, let them!*
"Jason, no! You must not go. You will die if you do, make no mistake. The Children of the Future are not wrong. It was them who foresaw your mission in the first place. If you do not trust them now, why complete this mission at all. Trust them in their judgment!"
Jason felt as though his mind was splitting in two. He was caught between the pull of reason, the mission, and his best friend and the pull of valor and his bondmate. As he made his decision, he heart seemed to scream in agony. Feeling as though his chest was being crushed, Jason stepped between Char and the Azalai and then turned to face her.
When she realized that Jason was going to stand against her, Charaustra let out a roar of rage and anguish. Bolts of electricity surged from her, hitting the ground and the walls. Genhyl ducked away as one blasted toward him. Several bolts crackled around Jason, and he felt his hair lifted with the static charge.
"No, Char!" he yelled, both out loud and into her mind. She screamed with rage again and moved forward, as though to strike him down. He held his ground, feeling insane, but at the same time, feeling a calm deep within. Char slashed at him with her teeth, getting close enough to tear the front of his robe and leave scrapes on his skin. Her mind poured into his, demanding that he move, demanding that he help her.
Why? she cried. Alexei is our friend! Why do you stand against me? You must know that it is wrong for them to die for us. You must! We are fighting to save innocent lives, and they are innocents! Help me!
No, Char. Sometimes, the needs of the many outweigh the few. We must succeed in our mission, for the good of all the temples, all the M'l'kai, all the Azru and Azalai. If we go up there and are killed, then not only will the M'l'kai be dead, but we will join them. Genhyl will be discovered, and the offworlders will gain possession of most of the Amulets. We have trusted the M'l'kai this far, and we must continue to do so. We will wait for them to summon us.
Char closed her eyes and roared again, but her rage was dying, and the roar sounded more like a deep keening to Jason. She stumbled back, turning in a large circle. The electricity danced around her in a thick, blue aura, but the bolts ceased, and the aura began receding. Finally she stopped pacing and simply collapsed, breathing hard. Her face was wet with tears. Jason realized his was as well. He swayed a bit where he stood, suddenly feeling very cold, as though the energy had been sucked from him. He felt a hand on his back and turned to glance at Genhyl.
"Jason, I think you should sit down," Genhyl murmured. At the suggestion, Jason went down abruptly, his legs numb. He landed hard and sat very still, concentrating on breathing. He stared at Char, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she lay with her eyes closed, sobbing in quiet gasps.
I just sacrificed one of our friends, Jason thought in disbelief.
Genhyl gently rubbed his shoulders. "Just take it easy," he said.
Have I made the right choice? Jason wondered, his eyes still fixed on Char.
*How could you, Jason? How could sacrificing a friend be the right choice?* her mind asked.
I don't know, he returned, feeling chilled and distant.
"I think... I need to rest," he told Genhyl, barely knowing what he was saying. He just knew he needed to close his eyes, if only to shut out the sight of Char crying.
"Right... come on," Genhyl said, wrapping his arms under Jason's and pulling him to his feet. Jason stumbled numbly to his bedroll and collapsed onto it. Then, he shut his eyes and embraced the darkness.
Background from Absolute Background Textures Archive. Storyline and characters created by and copyright © Rachel "Indyana" Gratis, 2001-2004. Dragon from Veniam Mactare.