by Commander Salvek
90315.0400
...continued from part four…
90315.0400
...continued from part four…
Salvek pressed his hands to her face, as she lay on top of him on the cold floor. The link was made, and they were one, but they were not alone.
Outside the meld, T’Pryll and V’Drea circled the couple cautiously. They watched for any signs of trouble that would cause them to break the meld.
Salvek and Kellyn were completely motionless, eyes closed, as they lay in the center of the room. The rise and fall of their chests was the only way the Vulcans could even tell they were still alive.
Inside the meld, Salvek searched desperately for Kellyn. Her presence here was usually felt immediately. Over the years her discipline had grown to where his spirit and hers would come together and intertwine with ease. She had learned to control and focus her thoughts, and together they shared the meld on a level that even Vulcans, with their rigid self-control, could not fully understand or appreciate.
He was only aware now that she was here, somewhere. The soul of Lair Kellyn usually appeared to him at first as a single point of light, like the brightest star in the sky, obscuring all others.
He could only see darkness here now; thick clouds of malevolence that moved and shifted with a purpose, undermining their every attempt to find each other.
They fought not the soul of Taris herself, but the years of accumulated malice that turned an innocent Romulan child in a woman hell bent on power and revenge, who was willing to kill even her own people if they dared stand in her way.
He would feel Kellyn move closer to him, then seem to vanish. The search dragged on, and his own frustration would grow. To Salvek, it was like being blindfolded and moving towards a voice, but having someone spin you and push you in another direction every time you were about to reach the source of that voice.
They would search for each other for as long as it took.
They had no way of telling time, but could easily guess that hours had passed since the meld began. It was painful and exhausting, but neither of them, even for a moment, wavered.
Time however, was becoming of the essence. Each moment the darkness closed in tighter around Salvek, and made it more difficult for him to search.
Each moment Kellyn was more and more aware that her husband’s life was slipping away.
As they entered the third hour in the meld, V’Drea grew more concerned for their condition, especially for Lair Kellyn.
Neither of them had moved to so much as even wet their lips since the meld began, and the arid air was now causing cracks to form that threatened to bleed. V’Drea fetched a damp cloth, and dabbed it gently on Kellyn and Salvek’s lips to slow the process.
“They may need a more disciplined mind. Perhaps I should enter the meld.” He offered.
“Patience, my apprentice. I have seen this Bajoran’s heart.” T’Pryll remained in the corner of the room, calm and collected.
Salvek winced in pain, and V’Drea stepped back. He wondered how much longer it was advisable to allow this to continue, but T’Pryll had spoken.
*Kellyn.*
Salvek’s call was faint, but she heard it. She was close now. He could no longer guide her through the meld. She would have to use what he had taught her, to find her own way.
She plunged into the darkness. It was bitter here, cold. Moving was nearly impossible for her. It was only the ferocity of her desire to rescue him that moved her forward; the strength of her Bajoran heart. Without it, Salvek would be lost.
For a moment, she saw a glow in the darkness. She turned towards it, and pressed on. The swirls and eddies around her threatened to knock her off course, but she refused to turn or be misdirected. She had seen something, and would move forward until she found it.
At last, the darkness cleared, and she was with him. The light that had shone brightest in her life for more than twelve years, was but a soft blue glow now, barely visible, and growing dimmer by the minute. It was as if the darkness were aware of Kellyn’s efforts to save him, and was trying to extinguish Salvek as quickly as it could now, rather than taking delight in his prolonged suffering.
Salvek saw Kellyn now as well. Her light was strong, steady and true. She moved towards him, and enveloped him within her. Shielded from the attacks upon his spirit, Salvek immediately felt his strength begin to grow once again.
His light brightened, until he was strong enough to fully join with Kellyn. They became one, mind and spirit, and shone brighter than either of them could alone. Together they repelled the darkness.
The hatred tried to retreat in fear, to the recesses of Salvek’s mind, but was helpless against the power it faced.
*I love you, my wife.*
Outside the meld, a cold wind whipped through the cavern, seemingly from nowhere. V’Drea watched, as the torches lighting in the room dimmed, but never quite went out. The wind died off, and the torches resumed their slow burn.
At last, Salvek and Kellyn moved.
He released her from the meld, easing his hands away.
He lowered her face gently down to his, and kissed her softly on the lips. Kellyn’s eyes fluttered open.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“Your husband, and no one else.” He replied.
“Lair Kellyn, rise.” T’Pryll asked gently, as she slowly made her way to the couple.
Kellyn forced herself to her feet, using all the strength she had left. Salvek rose as well, and offered a hand to steady her.
The Vulcan priestess motioned for Kellyn to lean forward. She reached into her robe, and withdrew a small necklace. Her ancient hands slowly reached up, to lay the necklace over Kellyn’s neck.
“Lair Kellyn, Vulcan blood runs through your heart. You will always be welcome here, on the homeworld of Salvek, and his mate.”
T’Pryll slowly pressed her fingers into the Vulcan “V”. Kellyn returned the gesture. Then, to her great surprise, T’Pryll reached out, and grabbed her by the ear.
“It is called a Pagh, correct?”
“Yes, Master,” Kellyn replied. Her lips actually curled into an amused smile.
“You will teach me about this.” T’Pryll said. She motioned to V’Drea that it was time for them to go.
V’Drea likewise said his farewell to Salvek and Kellyn, and then escorted T’Pryll out of the chamber.
“I don’t suppose there is a transporter to get back down the mountain?” Kellyn asked, once they were finally alone.
“No, there is not. But given the circumstances, I’m sure some sort of arrangements can be made to avoid the walk.”
“Then we should probably meet up with Arie as soon as we can.” Kellyn said.
“Why? They are not expecting us for at least another day. I think I should keep you all to myself until then.” Salvek protested.
“Why?”
“Because I want to,” Salvek replied. For the first time she saw the gleam in his eye she had missed so terribly.
He took her by the hand, and they retraced his steps back out of The Temple.
True to his word, Salvek managed to convince the Temple keepers to allow him use of the comm system to request a transport back to the city at the base of the mountain. He was about to call for order the transport, when Kellyn stopped him.
“Wait, I want to try something.”
She released his hand, and approached the entrance to the Temple. She took slow, deliberate steps, up to the guards, waiting to see if they would block her entrance.
Neither of them moved, and Kellyn walked through the gate, then back out.
Then, she ran, as fast as she could, back into the Temple. Again, neither of the guards moved a muscle.
She then waved a hand in one of their faces, and quickly stuck out her tongue.
Still, the guards would not move.
“Thank you,” She said to both of them, her voice filled with sincere gratitude.
She returned to Salvek’s side, and laced her fingers with his.
“Do you have a preference where we go?”
“Any place with air conditioning, food, and a bed, Salvek.” She said, realizing suddenly how hungry she was. “And of course, you.”
*******************************
Commander Salvek
Proud Husband of Lair Kellyn
******************************
NRPG: I had no idea what he was writing.
I’m pretty much speechless.
This is why Salvek is one of the longest running characters in the history of Trek RPG.
Because his writer can still shock the living hell out of you, thirteen years after the character's creation.
Incredible. ~ZL
Commander Salvek
Proud Husband of Lair Kellyn
******************************
NRPG: I had no idea what he was writing.
I’m pretty much speechless.
This is why Salvek is one of the longest running characters in the history of Trek RPG.
Because his writer can still shock the living hell out of you, thirteen years after the character's creation.
Incredible. ~ZL