Chapter 14   Death in the Labyrinth   author: Veyanne - yellow , Overlord - red , Tempress - orange  

The Witch Queen rounded the corner. Her sword was drawn. She fixed her gaze on the two children. She couldn't tell which was which.

Henos and Thenna were startled. They turned and looked at each other. It was like looking in a mirror. They saw the hesitation in the dark woman. They knew they'd tricked her. A slight grin appeared on both of their faces.

Kendra thought for a moment. Then she held up her hand with her fingers spread apart. Henos looked at her strangely. Thenna cringed. That was what Kendra always did before she punished Thenna.

"Oh no.", thought Thenna. She knew she had given Henos away. She hadn't been able to stop the reflex.

It in an instant a knife was flying through the air toward Henos' heart. He didn't realized what was happening. It was all moving so fast.

"Nooowrrr!", the sorceress cried out oddly. She was halfway between human and cat. She held out her hand. Her magic diverted the blade inches away from Henos' beating heart. The knife bounced off the wall.

The Witch Queen's anger exploded inside her. In an instant her long friendship with the sorceress was forgotten and retribution took it's place. Kendra lunged and attacked. The sorceress put up her hands in defense but her spell was too late. She fell to the ground. Three mortal wounds began to spill her blood.

Inside the black thopters the cyborg lifted his red gaze. He could still sense the bonding, but it was much weaker now. He followed it's path through electronic links with neural pathways and extended his consciousness far beyond. Until he met the mind that called out to him.

The temptress quickly drew her gun. Kendra was quicker. The gun skipped across the floor in two pieces. An instant later the Witch Queen's blade was seeking the temptress' neck. The temptress ducked but she knew she was too late.

A young girl's blood curdling scream pierced her ears...  "The..."

She winced, but instead of the force of the blade she felt a tingling around her body. The scene changed. The sun blinded her. She was no longer in the labyrinth.

"...nna!"

She was dizzy from the sudden change, but before she could take one step in any direction, the tingling returned...

The sorceress felt the last bit of magic leave her torn body. She hadn't had enough to get the children to safety. Things were going dreadfully wrong.

The overlord watched emotionless through her eyes and saw a woman he
never met before.

"You don't know when to die do you?", the Witch Queen stared down at the sorceress.

It almost felt like she was addressing him, but he was used to this kind of thing. He shifted a little though, to leave room for the sorceress to act on her own behalf.

The pain from the sorceress' wounds was starting to go away. She felt numb from the neck down. Her body relaxed. She looked up into Kendra's eyes. Kendra's stare was hard and cold. The sorceress' stare was warm and inviting. She knew Kendra's vulnerabilities. She hoped she could break through. She didn't have much time left.

"Our friendship is over.", Kendra's voice was firm. "You took it too far."

The sorceress said nothing.

"You know how I feel about the overlord.", The Witch Queen's voice grew angry quickly. "How could you do such a thing to me? Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you think I would accept his son into my home? You were a fool sorceress. Now you pay the price."

Strange how everybody turned out to be concerned about a son he never knew he had....but then his memory wasn't what it used to be.

"Veyanne.", the sorceress pleaded quietly. "Call me Veyanne."

Kendra began shouting. "I listened to you once before and it nearly got me killed. I shouldn't have trusted you again but now I see my mistake.You don't know when to quit, do you? You're always trying to make peace Veyanne. I have news for you. The war is never going to end. You're just making things worse. Don't you understand? You're not wanted."

The overlord looked at the mind he had entered. She was barely aware of his presence and to his annoyance he noticed the words were hurting her.

Tears came to the sorceress' eyes. She couldn't imagine a worse death. She knew Kendra could save her. Kendra could seal her wounds and carry her to the shaman. She knew Kendra wasn't going to do it. She knew Kendra too well. She knew she was going to die.

He carefully proceeded a little further in her mind. Why was this so painful to her?

The sorceress felt her breathing getting slower. Her vision was getting darker. Death was near. All she saw was Kendra's angry face. All she heard was Kendra's ranting voice. All was lost.

The temptress found herself back in the labyrinth standing before her children. Behind her she could hear Kendra and the sorceress talking.  She quickly turned around and backed further away... forcing the children behind her. They would have to wait for the right moment for their escape.

"I have to protect my tribe. I need to protect them from men like the overlord. They say he's changed. It's a lie. He's just found another excuse to kill. Veyanne we believe in the Goddess. How long do you think it will be before the overlord sends his EAC forces to exterminate us?"

The sorceress wanted to say "never", but she knew it wasn't true. The overlord was more machine than man now. She doubted he had any compassion left in him at all.

The overlord registered the words without emotion. He felt no need to answer the implied questions. She should know what he stood for.....

"My eternal hatred is all that's keeping my people alive. By asking me to give up that hatred you ask me to kill my tribe and myself. I will never do that, ever.", Kendra swore.

Veyanne drifted in and out of consciousness. She remembered her oath to the overlord. She was going to have to break it. More tears fell.

The overlord smiled. So this was how she felt. It became much clearer now.... He extended a virtual finger and pushed against some thoughts, shifting it ever so slightly. There, now that would help....

"Men like the overlord must all be killed. His son must die. They must all die if there is ever to be peace!", Kendra paused.

The overlord watched as the sorceress made herself ready...

"Kendra.", the sorceress whispered.

The Witch Queen could barely hear her. She knelt down beside the sorceress.

"Do one thing for me.", the sorceress swallowed hard. Her throat was dry. Still she gazed warmly into Kendra's eyes.

Kendra stared down at her dying friend. She thought she knew what the sorceress would say next. Even in her dying moment she was going to ask her to save Henos. She didn't.

"Take my last breath.", the sorceress forced the words out, "Maybe it will do you more good than it did me."

Kendra was stunned. At first she thought it was a trick, a spell. But she knew the sorceress had no magic left within her. Kendra agreed. She owed the sorceress her last request.

The sorceress felt her breathing slowing to nothing. Her vision had gone all black. She could still feel the Witch Queen next to her. She hoped Kendra would grant her last request. Death was almost upon her. Her pain was drifting away. Peace was coming at last.

'Not peace, dear', the overlord thought and he watched as they were both torn from the roots... He must be careful not to lose the connection....

She felt the Witch Queen's lips touch hers. It was wonderful. She felt her last breath being drawn from her lungs. It was like ecstasy. The sweet surrender. The world of pain was going far away. Death was upon her. She welcomed it with open arms.

The overlord took those arms gently and redirected them... a light appeared in the darkness.... the arms now reached out.... embraced the light....

The eternal night came. Veyanne was no more.

As the body died, the mind, still linked with the overlord's mind, traveled towards the light, embracing it.

Kendra raised her head and looked down at her fallen friend. Suddenly a powerful feeling moved through her. A feeling she hadn't felt since she was a child. A feeling of loss and despair. Her body trembled. She felt all alone in the universe. The feeling grew stronger with every passing second.

'Talk to her', the overlord whispered. Kendra had to be extremely emotional if this mindlink was going to work. The sorceress blinked, surprised to see it was working at all.

"Life is so cruel.", the words came into Kendra's mind. "You don't know what you have until it's gone."

'Well put,' replied the overlord, 'almost brings a tear to my eye.' He smiled.

The flood gates opened.

For the first time in a hundred years the Witch Queen cried.

The overlord took advantage of the moment and took all he needed. So this was why this woman hated him so much. No wonder. He shrugged. There were so many. He looked at the mind of the sorceress. It's spider like shape looked fragile as it was clinging to the solid sphere of Kendra's mind. But already it's tentacles were forcing their way deep into the tissue of the woman's mind. 'Don't get too attached', he warned, 'we will have to look for another body soon'. With that he cut the connection and retracted his mind.

She tried to hold in the sorceress' last breath. It was all that remained of her friend. She fought the need to exhale but she knew she couldn't hold on to it forever. She savored it and at last released it.

Kendra's back was toward the temptress and her children but she didn't notice... her grief over the sorceress was too great.  Henos and Thenna clung to their mother... waiting...

Kendra collapsed on the sorceress' body. She mourned the death of her friend, her family, and everyone else she ever loved who she had watched die. A lifetime of pain began to flow out of her. She felt it all over again. It was almost too much for her to bear. Back in time she went. Images of death flashed before her eyes. She felt the suffering and agony of those she had slain. Back farther still. She felt the rage inside of her when she swore death to the men of the silver cross. Back to the time of the horror of her childhood. She watched it happen again. She saw her family slaughtered. Once more she was a little girl wide-eyed with fear. Her feelings overwhelmed her. She was drowning in them. She was drowning in a sea of blood.

The opportunity came at last. The temptress took an arm of each child in her hands and sprang up... almost dragging them as she silently ran down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Then it suddenly stopped. The feelings were gone. The Witch Queen stood up. She felt calm and peaceful. The great weight of her past had been lifted. Her anger was gone.

She looked down at the sorceress' body one last time. Then she held out her hands. The body began to burn.

"Farewell old friend.", Kendra said bowing her head and closing her eyes.

"Henos.", the dark woman turned and called out, brandishing a knife. "It's time for the test. If you pass I shall teach you the black arts."

Out of breath, the temptress slowed the pace... looking for a place they could hide to catch a moments rest.  A doorway ahead looked promising  She placed the children out of harms way and opened the door.  A staircase led up to some unknown destination; hopefully it was a way out.

With the door firmly shut and locked, the temptress sat on the stairs with her head down; exhausted from to run.  Thenna approached her; placing her hand on top of her mother's head.

"I was the one who pulled you back mommy."

The temptress looked up and into her daughters pale blue eyes.  A smile crossed her lips.

"You've done well, love."

Henos moved closer as well.  Her eyes left her daughters and settled on Henos.  He would grow into a fine young man some day..  She reached out and pulled both children close to her... hugging them tightly.

"I think it's time we find out where these stairs lead to..."

Kendra looked around but didn't see the children. They'd run away while she was in mourning. No matter. She would find them again.