Heart of Stone (14 page)

Thex shook his head in amazement. A
more ragtag team he’d never had but he had to give it to them, they
showed a surprising amount of ingenuity and resolve. “Sounds like a
plan then, a shaky plan, but it's all we’ve got. George can you go
and see Ally to see what she can rig us up with as far as
communication between teams. Yan, I assume you’ll set up a medical
bay that can also take in all non operational townsfolk including
the children and elderly and set up a defensible position for them
but I’d like you on my team when we board the ship.”

Yan pressed his palms together and
bowed his head slightly to show his agreement. “Not a
problem.”

“
All-spirit be with us”
Tyra prayed as everyone left for their respective tasks.

As Tyra went to leave Suzukisan
lightly grabbed her by the arm. “A moment Tyra.”

Tyra bowed respectfully “Sure
Suzukisan”

“
Tell me Tyra, have you
ever seen how a pride of lions move in for the final kill on a
large wildebeest or elephant, without getting trampled
themselves”.

“
Yes, I’ve seen it on
wildlife docos. They circle the animal, keeping out of its reach,
nipping at it, drawing blood and wearing it down until it tires so
much they can pull it down”.

“
There is always much to
learn from nature Tyra. If you ever need to fight something very
large be that pride of lions. Keep your mind as clear as the sky,
free of contention and doubt. Let there be no opponent versus you,
only the one. Connect with earth and spirit. Move like a mountain
stream, quick and nimble, go around obstacles, wear them down.” He
looked down and reached into a pocket, pulling out a small pendant.
“Wear this for me, the Goddess of compassion Kannon-sama will
protect you”.

Tyra bowed again. “Thank you
Suzukisan. I’ll remember.”

Simon followed Tyra out the door,
frowning.

Melissa, Rob and her other coven
members met them near the grove of Southern Myrtles, Nothofagus
cunninghamii, that Rob had planted in his back paddock. The Major
had come along too. The now ex-atheist said he had a few questions
for the Goddess.

Melissa looked at Tyra, hoping the
place would suit. “Will this do?”

“
Give me a minute.” Tyra
entered the circle and took a seat on the ground near the hearth.
It was a damp, tough luck. She closed her eyes and became aware of
her breathing then sent her consciousness down to merge with the
earth. She felt its resonance, it nearly purred at her mental
caress. Tyra opened her eyes. “Yes this will do nicely. Will you
guys form a circle or whatever you do?”

Melissa suggested Simon and John stand
either side of Tyra. Her coven spread themselves out around the
circle. Starting in the east she called to the quarters to witness
the rites of the circle and act as guardians. She called to the
powers of the elements, in love and truth to share the rite. Being
the southern hemisphere, when it came to the elements she called to
the element of Earth for the South and Fire for the North. Then she
came to the centre, in front of Tyra, Simon and John and called to
the Spirit of All. “Now I will call the Goddess

Erce, erce, erce eorþan
modor

Hal wes þu, folde, fira
modor!

Earth, Mother earth, hail to you,
mortals mother.”

Simon smiled to himself, he sure
wasn’t mortal but he’d guess his mum wasn’t a stickler for detail
anyway, it was intent that really mattered.

Melissa turned to Tyra. “Do your
connection now.”

Tyra recast her mind to the
earth, becoming one again with the resonance, drawing it up through
her being and offering it to the all-spirit. Bright light flared
above her crown chakra and came plummeting back down through her
into the earth. Tyra’s only thought as she observed this was
I guess the all-spirit likes yang sex sometimes
too
.

“
Indeed” came a voice Tyra
recognised. The Goddess stood before them smirking, if Goddesses
can be said to smirk. Certainly there was a twinkle in her eye. “I
know why you are here. Yes Tyra you can offer my grace to any of
the enemy that surrender, although I do not think they will like
it. If they choose they may experience their karma from all that
they have done on this planet and to this planet. They can
experience it in a moment in time but it won’t be pleasant for
them. Cleansed of their karma they may then choose to die. I will
allow them to be reincarnated into a life on this planet and they
will keep reincarnating until they evolve. Alternately they may
swear to serve me, at my command and I will allow them to have a
human form of their own, although they may take their other form in
service to me. That is all I am prepared to offer.” She turned to
Melissa, I am well pleased with you daughter, your consort and the
others here. I have few who honor me in the South of this planet.
Will you pledge yourselves and the child you carry to help my son
and his mates in their battle? Will you help me to protect and heal
this planet?”

Melissa bowed deeply, the rest stood
in shock but bowed their heads. None had actually ever expected to
see the Goddess in person. “You know we will”.

The Goddess walked forward and place a
palm over Melissa’s womb. “Then I proclaim you the Adin, those
against the Din. You may release your circle daughter, I would stay
and have a few words with John as he wishes to know more about the
extent of his powers.”

Melissa bowed again went to give
thanks and release to the elements and the quarters, who was she to
argue ritual procedure with a Goddess. Rob left with the other
coven members to go back to Thex for orders. Melissa decided to
wait for Tyra as she had much she wanted to ask.

Simon stepped forward and embraced his
mother. “I love you Ma, may the all-spirit help us”.

Ma gently touched Simon’s forehead.
“I’m with you always, just reach for me in your mind if you have
need of me again. Mind you I like it when Tyra sends down the
energy.” She smiled at Tyra. “It strengthens me. Some days I feel
so tired, but soon, soon things will start to right themselves.
Everything comes in cycles. Be well son. Now go and help Thex, the
commander needs you and Tyra, he needs the companionship of both of
you. It’s a lonely task otherwise that he’s got ahead of
him.”

Simon and Tyra bowed and left leaving
the Major to talk to the Goddess.

Simon made to leave. “I’ll hurry back
to the house Tyra. You and Melissa make your way back when you’re
ready”, and then he disappeared.

Melissa just shook her head. “All this
is starting to make my head spin”.

Tyra patted her on the back. “You’ll
get used to it. Come on, we’d better head back, the afternoon is
getting on.”

They’d thought to take a quicker
shortcut back, following the long disused dunny cart track. The
forest on either side was starting to reclaim it but it was still
passable.

Tyra casually passed her Walther PPK
handgun to Melissa. “Know how to use one of these?”

“
Yeah? Not this particular
type but I’ve shot a few rabbits in my time. Why?”

“
Don’t show that you know,
just keep talking to me as if nothing’s up, we’re being
stalked.”

“
How many?”

“
Just the one but I think
it’s taken corporeal form, not just ethereal. Their spaceship isn’t
here yet so I’m guessing its Steven’s. It must be out scouting
while Steven’s off doing whatever he’s up to. I haven’t had a
chance to load that gun with any of Thomas’s bullets yet. Unless
you’re close you’re not going to necessarily kill it with that.
Shoot it in the legs if it comes at you, they’re top heavy beasts,
but otherwise, as soon as you see a clear path of escape run for
it.”

“
What about you? I can’t
leave you to that thing.”

Tyra surreptitiously unfolded the
karambit knife in her pocket. A gift from Yan it was small but
viciously sharp, it also had a saw blade on its reverse edge. She
put it in a concealed reverse hold. She leaned down as if to
scratch an itch on her leg and pulled a nasty looking Kris knife
from her boot as well, concealing it in her left hand. “The boys
will have already sensed the danger to me. I only need to hold him
off while you make a run for it. Remember there’s two of you to
consider. Not to mention that a certain Goddess would be pretty
pissed if anything happened to the child she just
blest.”

Melissa’s thoughts went to the baby
inside her. Tyra was unfortunately right. She reeled in fright as
the beast suddenly sprang into their path.

Drool dripped from its teeth. “Ah the
prophesied one without her minder or guardian. I knew if I waited
long enough the chance would come”.

Tyra fished inside herself for
whatever bravery she could find. “I have no wish to harm you. Leave
us and go back to your slave.”

The beast roared in laughter then
sneered at her. “You, a mere human, hurt me...Not even the galaxy’s
finest could stop us all those years ago. I enjoyed ripping apart
much of your commander’s team. Sakla was so pleased he gave me this
place to watch and stop any rescue attempts on the
prisoner”.

Egomaniac, if she could just use that
weakness to keep him talking. “Doesn’t seem like much of a reward
to me. Sakla sets up a global empire and you get a dead end job as
a watchman.”

The beast howled in anger and slashed
out its mighty arms. Tyra evaded by allowing herself to fall
beneath where he aimed. Okay maybe telling him he’d been duped by
his boss hadn’t been the right approach. Rolling and coming up from
a low crouching stance she took her chance at a surprise attack and
aimed the karambit straight into his balls, slicing a tendon on the
way.

Enraged the beast lunged again. As
expected it tried to use its arms as clubs to direct a side swipe
to her head. Tyra ducked. Flow like water, that’s what Suzukisan
had said. Keep outside its circle of reach. Mind as clear as the
sky, body connected with the earth. There is no opponent if
everything is one. Tyra became one with the dance of death and
emptied her mind. The beast would lunge and swipe, lunge and swipe.
There was a pattern to its fighting strategy. There was no pattern
to hers, she used every multilevel stance and crouch and piece of
footwork she’d learnt but without conscious thought. She was just
the observer.

The beast had strength but lacked
stamina, it began to tire, its moves becoming more
ponderous.

Tyra paced herself, endurance is a
woman’s strength and as long as she didn’t use up all her inner
reserves she could keep going like this for some time. “I have no
wish to hurt you Din, leave us in peace.”

“
And have the boss gut me,
I don’t think so human.”

Damn, if the beast thought it was
backed into a corner with no option there would be no end to this
until one of them died. It was now or never, before she really did
tire. She pulled energy from her chakras, as Yan had taught her,
she gathered the energy into her gut. Then using a rolling maneuver
she made as if to run for it but came up behind the beast instead,
visualised herself as a flying monkey and leapt. She landed on the
back of its neck and drove the Kris deep into the side of its neck,
slicing through nerves and blood vessels.

The beast roared in pain and tried to
shake her off but she held until she could safely jump
free.

Tyra resumed her dance of goad and
evasion, watching the beast. Blood poured from its throat. She felt
pity for it as it rolled its eyes backwards and crashed to the
ground.

“
Can I shoot it
now?”

Tyra was surprised, she hadn’t
realised that Melissa was still there. “No but don’t hesitate to if
it makes any sudden moves.” She walked cautiously up to the
beast.

It raised an eyelid, watching her
approach. It could feel its essence slipping away. No matter, on
death he would return to the between. They wouldn’t be rid of him
so easy. “Coming in for the final kill are we, little human? Must
say, someone trained you well.”

Tears streamed down Tyra’s face. “I
have never wanted to cause anything pain. Forgive me Din, you gave
me no choice. This doesn’t have to be your end though.” She
explained the Goddesses offer.

“
Thanks but no thanks, I
will return to The Between, until next time human.”

“
Then I think we better
reduce your odds of there being a next time.” Simon stepped out of
nowhere and shot the beast. It disappeared in a puff of smoke. “A
few lifetimes in the lower worlds won’t hurt that one.”

Tyra was not surprised by Simon’s
sudden arrival and she breathed a sigh of relief that it was all
over but she felt bad for the beast. “He thought he had an easy way
out, we just made it that much harder for him.”

Simon hugged her close. “You’re right
to feel compassion Tyra, he’s as much a part of us as any piece of
the all-spirit is but for now he’s a dangerous piece. He’s avoided
his cycles of rebirth long enough, now he needs to purge his karma
by realising that there has to be something more than his
individual self. The lower worlds will get him to the point of
despair with his current path then he will be born into this middle
plane to learn just that. Your compassion just now may leave an
impression on his soul. It will help him along his
path.”