Lost Time (LOTS XO, AU, CC/UC, ADULT) Chpt 11 12/13/13 [WIP]

[Janetfl]

As promised here is the continuation of the chapter. Thanks for the feed back.

ja.forster
Timelord31
AvalonRose

A/N: Because of the time difference between this world and Earth there will be more about Liz and gang than there will the aliens, that is until they join them and for the LOTS fans they will be making an appearance shortly.

Direct quotes in this chapter are used from Legend of the Seeker, Season 1, Episode 1, and ‘Prophecy’. All rights and credit remain with the original writers and owners.



Chapter 10b


“It was a bitter day for Panis Rahl when his own son betrayed him. He’s been repentant ever since, even admits that he should have left Darken to die but he loved his son, and after so many difficulties in conceiving him he couldn’t believe it would turn out this way. He decided to correct his mistake and sire another son that would be able to destroy Darken Rahl.

“About twenty five years ago, after suffering a great amount of torture at the hands of Darken Rahl, a great prophet spoke on his deathbed about the birth of a true seeker, a child whose destiny would be to seek out and kill the greatest evil of all, Darken Rahl. With his last breath the prophet named the town in which the child had been born. Rahl sent his assassins and in one night they murdered every first born son in Brennaden, save one.

“Word of the prophecy made its way to Zedd along with the one thing Darken Rahl didn’t have, his name. Zedd crossed the boundary, at night unseen, with the seeker in his arms. For weeks Zedd watched, listened and read the clouds and came to know that in all the world there was no one kinder than George and Mary Cypher. He told them the story and they took them in to their home and their hearts. The seekers name is Richard Cypher.”

“Hold on one second,” said Maria, holding her hand up. “What the hell is a seeker? What do you mean by he read the clouds and what the hell is the boundary?”

“The boundary is a strong magical wall brought forth from the underworld and is almost impenetrable. It splits this world into magical and non-magical. The people on the non-magic side of the boundary are safe. Here, is a different matter. Reading the clouds is a little harder to explain but all wizards can do it. They retain information that guides the wizards.”

“You,” stated Liz.

“That is correct.”

“So what is a seeker,” asked Maria.

“A seeker is a hero who arises in a time of trouble and suffering and seeks out evil and fights it wherever he can. The seeker can be recognized by his distinct sword, the sword of truth.”

“So this seeker, Richard Cypher, is the other son of Panis Rahl?” asked Kyle.

“Yes, he is also the Grandson of the great wizard Zeddicus Zul Zorrander.”

The group where left completely stunned after that revelation.

“I think that is enough is enough information for you to digest at the moment. I will tell you more on our travels. The only warning I will give you is, if you meet with Richard and his gang then I don’t want you telling him about Panis Rahl, he will find out this information pretty soon by himself.”

The group nodded.

“Wait, are you telling us that we are going to run into this seeker person?” asked Kyle.

“That is what you are here for. To help him with his quest but also to learn as much as you can so you can survive what you are to face when you get back to your world.”

“And what exactly will we be facing when we get back?” asked Alex.

“Nothing that this place won’t prepare you for,” replied Jake.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” said Kyle.

The group packed away their camp and followed Jake into the dense forest.

“So what is so special about the sword of truth?” Liz asked Jake.

“In anyone else’s hands it’s just a piece of steel but in the seekers hands it bestows the power to fight evil. When the seeker unsheathes his sword there is a distinctive ring in the air and the blade, near the hilt, glows an orange red with the power that surges through it. The sword holds the strength of all the ancient seekers that wielded it before Richard. Though the seeker might battle alone he fights with the strength of many.”

“That’s one kick ass sword then,” quipped Kyle.

“What about this Confessor thing you spoke of?” asked Maria.

“It’s an ancient order of women, sworn to find out the truth no matter how hard people try to hide it and if the seeker should arise, to protect him with her life. They hold the power to amplify love so strongly that it would take away the persons sense of self, literally making them a slave to the Confessor that turned them.”

“That sounds just as bad as the Mord-Sith,” commented Liz.

“In a way it is, but Confessors worked independently to the rulers in each province, therefore maintaining a balance of just and true power. The people who tried to tip the balance of power would be confessed and worked as slaves to the Confessors in Aydindril.”

“This is one screwed up world,” commented Kyle.

“Actually it worked for over three thousand years until...”

“Darken Rahl,” finished Liz.

“Exactly. He ordered the murder and destruction of the Confessor order, thereby tipping the balance of power in his favour. As of this day there is only one Confessor that remains.”

“Does this Darken Rahl still exist?” asked Alex.

“He is dead as you know it but still exists.”

“Oh great, more of his cryptic clues,” complained Kyle.

“Richard did kill Darken Rahl but he is far from destroyed. He now serves the Keeper and because of the tearing of the veil he is able to influence people here that are willing to listen, like the Sisters of Darkness or any other subject that is still loyal to him. He also has many Banelings doing his bidding.”

“What the hell is a Baneling?”

“A Baneling is a recently dead person who has made a deal so they can return to their bodies and live, but the downside to that is they have to kill one person every day. The ‘clock’ is reset after every murder. The only way to stop this from happening is if you burn the bodies so the soul gets trapped in the underworld.”

“This just keeps on getting worse! Look Jake, I appreciate everything you have done for us so far but I don’t think this is the right place for us. I mean, we don’t even know how to use the weapons you’ve given us and you expect us to survive here?”

“I’m sorry to say, but I’m starting to agree with Kyle. We don’t have any way of protecting ourselves at the moment. I know you said that you would teach us Jake, but it would take years to gain the skills to use these weapons effectively. How do you expect us to learn this and keep alive is beyond me,” rushed out Maria.

“You already have the knowledge inside of you. I gave that to you last night, the only things we really have to work on now is your strength, agility and reflexes. Once you reach maximum potential you will be able to fight off most of what this world can throw at you. Anyway, it’s not possible to return you to your timeline yet because you would cease to exist.”

“Are you telling me that they still haven’t destroyed that multiple subset dimension splitter?” asked Liz.

“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry Kyle but Jim didn’t make it time.”

“Is he still alive?” asked Kyle, his face pale and voice shaky.

“Yes, he is, and to be honest he’s probably in the safest place at the moment. Once that splitter is destroyed he will return to your time on Earth unharmed.”

“But we’ve been gone nearly a day and a half now. Does that mean something has happened to our friends?” asked Liz, her voice rising in panic.

“Nothing they can’t handle but time moves differently here. What has been a day and a half for you, has been a few minutes for them.”

“So we could be stuck here for a while then?” asked Alex.

“Yes, until that splitter is destroyed you’ll have to stay here.”

“Well that sucks. If Tess has her way we’ll never get back to our own timeline,” grumbled Kyle.

“I don’t think Max and the rest of the team would leave us here Kyle, no matter what’s happened recently and I know Michael certainly wouldn’t allow it,” said Liz.

“She could mind warp them in to forgetting us,” said Maria.

“I didn’t think of that,” said Liz, quietly.

“I know that Tess won’t do that. She’s trying to get them to trust her so she’ll help them as much as she can.”

“Yeah and then she’ll end up betraying them all,” spat Alex.

[Janetfl]

Thank you to everyone who left feedback. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update all of my stories. It's been a crazy couple of years. Anyway I wanted to give you an early Christmas present ... alas it's only a chapter!


Chapter 11



Michael couldn’t believe that he’d let his concentration slip and now Isabel was in the hands of the skins. He tensed, briefly considering going on the defensive, but Nicholas realized what he was about to do and raised his hand ominously towards Isabel. Michael’s powers were unpredictable at best and if he hit Isabel, he would never forgive himself. Plus, there were five other skins surrounding them. It was with a sigh and the lowering of his shoulders that indicated he was willing to surrender to whatever fate was in store for him.

At least they had a fighting chance to get out of this mess, but what didn’t sit well with him was the fact that their friends would be stuck in the pod chamber longer than any of them had anticipated. At least they had some provisions to survive for a few days. He was just hoping that Max or Tess would be able to get them out of this mess.
Nicholas smiled as he realized Michael wasn’t going to put up much of a fight.

“I’m surprised at you Rath, back on our planet you would never have given up so easily.”

“Yeah? Well I’m not Rath and we’re not on Antar,” said Michael, through gritted teeth.

“Quite,” said Nicholas, as he pulled off a piece of skin that was already half falling off his face. “I hate this miserable piece of shit planet and will be glad to leave it.”

He pulled something out of his pocket, pressed a few symbols on it and then started to talk.

“I’ve got the package, pick up yours and meet us at the arranged point.”

“Won’t take us long,” replied Ida.

A look of total understanding came across Michael’s face.

“You’ve had help.”

Nicholas smiled. “Finally, he works it out. I was wondering how long it would take you to realize you have a traitor in your midst.”

“Oh, I’ve known about the traitor for a little while now,” replied Michael.

“Is that so?”

Michael nodded.

“But we have something that you don’t.”

“And, what pray, would that be?” asked Nicholas.

A serene smile came across Michael’s lips, one that made Nicholas flinch in apprehension. Could it be that they had found out the full extent of their powers but not informed Tess, since they already knew she was the traitor? But if so, why hadn’t the King already taken her out of commission?

Michael’s eyes turned hard.

“We have our friends.”

At that statement Nicholas laughed.

“Your friends don’t have any powers. They can be easily controlled by Tess. What possible threat could they be? Besides we know that they are stuck in the chamber.”

The fact that Nicholas knew about the chamber didn’t surprise Michael, considering it was Tess who was the traitor. Nor did he really mind that the enemy or Tess thought the humans were inferior, it actually helped them in a way. Michael couldn’t help thinking of how he had connected to Liz. It shouldn’t have been possible. He at least knew that much, but the connection to Liz had come easily, as if she was willing it rather than him enforcing it. It was with sudden clarity that Michael realized what had happened. He hadn’t forced a connection; Liz had which would mean that she wasn’t all that human anymore. A smile flittered across his lips.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he whispered.

“What?” asked Nicholas, curiously.

“They have no idea how much trouble they’re really in,” Michael said, more to himself than for those around him, smiling.

“Who? What are you talking about?”

A bleeping noise came from the device that Nicholas still held in his hand.

“WHAT!” barked Nicholas.

“We have them. “

“Good,” replied Nicholas, a malevolent smile coming to his face. “It’s time to meet your maker.”

Nicholas snapped his fingers and suddenly the world around Michael went black.

*******

It was eerily quiet, too quiet. Although all the humans were still under the influence of the multiple subset dimension splitter, something was making all the hairs on his arms, legs and back of neck stand up.

“Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“Something isn’t right. I can feel it.”

“I can’t feel anything. What the hell are you talking about Max?” asked a frustrated Tess. Just one more step and they would be captured.

What was he feeling? Why did it run through his whole body like waves of tiny shocks running across his skin, making his whole body aware of his surroundings? It was almost like an internal alarm system had been set off, yet he couldn’t figure out why. It was infuriating. If he discussed it with Liz she would probably come up with an idea as to why he felt this way. She always had an uncanny knack of knowing who to trust, or reading his emotions or rather she used to.

Nothing felt right to him anymore. Not since that night he caught Liz in bed with Kyle. He knew something wasn’t right with what he saw. He really wanted to concentrate on what it was but every time that picture came into his mind, he quickly dismissed it, not wanting to relive the most painful time in his entire life. Still he knew that Liz had been lying to him, he just didn’t know why and it was killing him. He always thought Liz to be a truthful, honest person. Surely he couldn’t have been that wrong about somebody?

And that’s when it hit him. Why he’d been so nasty to Liz over the last couple of days. It felt like a thousand bricks had just pummelled his chest. Liz had lost confidence in him, and as a result he in himself. If Liz couldn’t trust him enough to tell him what was really going on, why she was doing all of this, then he couldn’t trust his own judgement.

Max had never questioned his own judgement. He’d kept them safe this long so he knew whatever he was doing it was right, even when both Michael and Isabel would argue with him he knew that deep down his decision was the best ... not being arrogant but simply because he’d thought of every scenario he could possibly think of and every possible outcome, and chose the safest. Now though, he didn’t know what to think, what to feel, even who to trust. He knew it was unhealthy to let someone affect him that much but it was the truth. His judgement had been called into question ... and he didn’t like that, not one bit. He made a promise to himself that as soon as he saw Liz again they were going to have this out.

Tess could tell that Max was having some sort of epiphany, if his face was anything to go by. He was so easy to read. Whatever it was she couldn’t allow it to interfere with her mission.

“MAX!” she whispered harshly. “Would you please concentrate? We have to get moving. Staying in one place is suicide! We’re going to be discovered if we don’t move soon.”

Max slowly turned his head to look at her. Tess shivered at the cold look in his eyes and wondered if the rumours were true. Once he got his full powers would he really be able to see the evil within? If so, she would be dead within a few seconds.

“Something’s not right Tess. I can’t put my finger on it but my body is telling me something is really wrong.”

She used the only ‘Ace’ she had ... the distraction method, he was getting too close to the truth.

“Is it Liz? Has something happened to her?”

Tess squirmed as Max scrutinised her with his gaze.

“What makes you say that?” His head was on one side, looking at her curiously.

“I don’t know. Whenever you have these weird feelings it’s normally centred on her.”

“You sound bitter,” he said, almost amused.

Crap. It didn’t work. Perhaps she should just keep her mouth shut? Nope, now she was stomping mad. How dare he be amused at her bitterness! She deserved a little sympathy!

"Of course I sound bitter Max. She has what is rightfully mine! The bitch shouldn’t even be near you, you are far too important for some insignificant human but you, nor she sees that.”

And that’s when she lost the battle. She’d been doing so well, getting into his good books, getting him to trust her. Now he looked at her as if she was nothing more than dog shit on his shoe. He stood up, tall, imposing, looking down on her tiny frame. He was angry, exceptionally so. His breathing became erratic and he clenched his fists, tight.

“You think that you’re a better match for me? Qualified to stand by my side simply because I knew, and was unfortunately married to you in a previous life? If that’s so then how come we all ended up dead Ava? If you were such a good fucking queen how come you were the one who let Khivar in to the building! Don’t think I don’t remember that. Everyone thought it was Vilandra but I saw you.”

Tess froze. She never knew Zan had seen her let Khivar into the main room of the palace. It was protected and only one of the four royals could open the door. If he remembered that then perhaps ... a dawning look came over her face and for the first time in her entire miserable life on this planet she was truly afraid.

“How did you ...”

“The feeling, it triggered something in my memory. I had the same feeling when we were about to be attacked by Khivar. I suppose it unlocked the memory.”

“So if you remember that ...?”

“Then I remember the rest. I know who I was, what I was and what my values were. I know that you never loved me ... it was an arranged marriage by my father who, strangely enough, Khivar killed not long after. You were already in his bed when you tried to come to mine and that’s why I would never touch you with a barge pole. You were trying to get the heir of the throne before Khivar killed me so it would make his transition to the throne easier ... but you failed, so he killed you so you could be sent down here with us. Just think about that Ava. He can’t have really loved you if he could kill you so easily, have you in another man’s bed so freely. Why do you think seeing Liz in bed with Kyle nearly killed me? I know now that something isn’t right there, but that’s not the point. I couldn’t function when I found out ... Khivar had you killed. Are you sure you’ve chosen the right side this time?”

That nagging doubt that had always been in the back of her mind manifested itself into her consciousness. How could Khivar have killed her so easily? Sent to another planet many light years away? It was an important mission, only she could carry out but still ... he had done it with such ease, without any regret. Max was destroyed by the betrayal of Liz. Surely Khivar should have had a stronger reaction to her death? What if he was just using her as a pawn in his never ending game? Where would she stand at the end?

All these questions and doubts were running around her head. She couldn’t hide the emotional turmoil she was currently going through.

“I can see you’ve thought a lot about it Ava.”

“It’s TESS!”

"Have it your way. I see you have thought about it a lot Tess. Just remember he found it easy to send you millions of miles away from him, kill you like you meant nothing to him and what for ... just to carry out some plan that had no guarantee of working. Shit, it took you almost two decades to find us!”

“I swear if you utter one more word I’m going to mind warp you to within an inch of your life!”

“Truth hurt?”

"A little, but that will help heal the damage your words have done.”

Max felt something sharp in his neck before the world around him faded away.

“About bloody time you got here! What took you so long?”

“You told me to wait until you came from behind the building but it was taking too long. I thought something had gone wrong,” replied Ida.

“It has ... Zan has his memory back.”

“Well, he’s knocked out now. Get to work and erase those memories.”

“I can’t do that Ida. My powers are suggestive I can’t simply wipe his mind.”

“No, but Nicholas can. Let’s get him there quickly before he wakes up to give Nicholas a chance because if the boy wakes up first there’ll be no stopping him.”

Ida pulled out her communicator, pressed a few buttons and heard Nicholas’s voice.

“WHAT!”

“We have them. “

“Good.”