“Dad,” sid Vic jr, “We really should go to the memorial service. Kathy’s messaged me twice about it already. You know how prompt those Xavvian services are. And, I allowed Dr. Morgan to be included in the ceremony. It seemed only right.”
Pursing his lips, Vistor Sr said, “Yes. We should go. When is starting?”
Checking his latest message, Jr answered, “Right now.”
“Well, we’re but moments away. Let’s join them.”
As with all Xavvian death rites, the ceremony had to begin within a half day cycle of death. Being used to these customs, there was quite a crowd at the Temple of the Great Mother. Virtually al the species on Sevastol were represented, about 30 different types of sapient beings. Xavvian outnumbered all by a long shot. Kathy was the only Human there. The Channing men quickly weaved through the crowd to join her. Sr. recognized Grav, Skoop, and the two young Xavvians, but it was too late to offer any greetings, the ceremony began.
On a raised dias, a large male Xavvian, bedecked in loin cloth and jewells, began the ritual chant. Holding a long knife type object in one hand, and a club of bone in the other, he performed the intricate movements involved in the rite. The chant sounded to Victor Jr like two bobcats in a flannel bag being beaten to some odd sort of rythem. To Kathy, it was one of the most eerily beautiful operas she had ever heard. This Xavvian preist was very adept. He ought to have been. He was schooled on the homeworld. His position on Sevastol was simply one more under secretary to the Minister of Foriegn Affairs, but as the only adept preist on Sevastol, he held much ceremonial power.
The part that disturbed Kathy the most, the blood letting, was about to be performed, when suddenly the priest stopped in mid wail. A strange and distant sounding keening could be heard. Gathering his concentration back to himself, the adept priest continued.
Suddenly, instead of piercing his hand through, he leapt off the dias, onto an unsuspecting reptillian female. With one swipe of the blade, he removed her head.
As her newly lifeless body fell forward, the priest bounded several meters over and clubbed a Klapest male in the back of his crested skull, emitting a banshee wail.
“I don’t remember ths being a part of the rites,” Jr muttered to his dad.
“It’s not!” yelled Kathy. “It’s an attack!”
The stunned crowd finally came to their senses and rushed the bezerker priest. The sounds of fierce Xavvian primitive fighting could be heard over the gathering screams of the crowd.
Soon, the preist ws subdued, appearing to have been throttled by a very large Xavvian with a newly severed arm.
“Great Mother,” sighed Martel, “I’m glad that’s over.”
“It isn’t over,” warned Kathy, “Look!”
Looking to where pointed, they saw the priest now on the other side of the great hall, savagely biting into a figure that was now hard to recognise.
“It’s Wayre!” someone cried. “The Day has come!”
“It can’t be Wayre,” muttered Channing sr, “That’s not how we work.”
“WE!?” screamed Kathy. “WE!!!”
While the crowd surged to confroft/run from this rampaging priest, Kathy noticed there were two of them. And that the priest nearest the dias was not attired exactly the same as this one. Most in the room, though, were sure it was the same Xavvian. A mad, armed adept, on the loose in an unarmed crowd.
But, the jewells weren’t the same. As she came to this realisation, the second priest looked right at her from across the room. He smiled. And disappeared.
Directly in front of her appeared a Granneth Bear, tail spikes deployed. It appeared there in one instant of time. Victor Jr, being quite well trained in the fighting arts, lunged at it, kicking its jaw and eyes in rapid succession. Quite a feat for a 2 meter tall Human to do to a 4 meter tall Granneth.
The bear recoiled from the instant assault and swung its spiked tail at Jr, catching him in a glancing blow. Victor Jr’s leg bleeding profusely, he spun to his feet and countered with a leap that would make Tobermory proud.
The bear seemed to grow 2 meters taller in an instant and was now a Baast dragon. It easily caught the Jr Channing in one of its six large claws. Bringing the Human to its gaping jaws, it paused and spoke.
It spoke! “Finally. Human flesh.” and bit into the young man’s torso.
“NO!!!” came a new banshee yell, as an almost unseen creature (it moved so fast) slamed into the great beast.
A figure from out of ancient human mythology stood there, holding the dragon in one of its powerful hands. From the corner of his unbloodied eye, Victor Jr. thought he saw a demon from the 9th Circle of Hell. Knowing that was impossible, he fainted dead away due to massive blood loss.
The elder Channing saw all this occur before his eyes in mere moments and knew two things had happened. Kathy had found her shape shifting power. And…, she had finally met Tag.
“Well,” said the dragon, through a mouth not meant for speech, “It seems the Player has found her cards.”
The great demon, resplendent in fearful beauty, answered, “I’m not playing any games. You will die.”
“Not today,” said the dragon/Tag, and bounded into the air, disappearing about 12 meters up. The weapon that the elder Channing fired took out one of the great columns of the hall, it being in the same line of sight that Tag had just been in. Part of the stone cieling collapsed.
Grabbing the inert body of Victor Jr, Martel bellowed at the demon figure, “Kathy! Let’s get out of here!”
Then, all seven of them were outside the Great Hall. Kathy looking like a scared school girl, Jr almost dead, and all the rest in various degrees of shock and bloodiness. Victor Sr was the only one seeming to be non affected by the melee. In fact, he appeared to be in some sort of trance.
Turning to Kathy, Martel asked, “What did you do? How?”
In answer, Kathy collasped to the ground. Victor Sr. came out of his trancelike state and quickly took charge. “Grav, take Kathy. Martel, take my son. Everyone, follow me. BE QUICK ABOUT IT!” And he ran towards the History Viewing Center some several meters away. The others fell in line immediately, being conditioned over the mellenia to obey when Commanded by Wayre, but unaware of their doing so for that reason.
:). When you start another story, would you please email me? I would love to try and play along. NoClueBoy knows my style from the Star Trek Threads and can comment {fingers crossed}. I promise not to use lists :D.