As the World Falls Down
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- As the World Falls Down by David Bowie
The Kashere Driftlands are perhaps one of the most inhospitable and dangerous Locations in the Mipedian Desert. At least that is what several players warned Reggie before he decided to port there on a scan quest. And then they warned him that there is no way he'll get a scan of Iflar, the Crown Prince of the Mipedians. And they gave him one final, helpful piece of advice: keep your mouth shut.
Reggie is grateful that he kept his mouth shut because he would've been choking on sand from his tumble into the Location. He stands up and brushes off nearly a pound of sand from his school uniform and hair. He takes a good look at the Location to see if, maybe by divine intervention, that Iflar is nearby.
All he sees is dunes of lace-white sand and jagged, dark rocks poking through the dunes like rancid teeth of an orc. He shrugs and accepts that he's not going to get that lucky. He'll just have to put in a lot of effort like when he was learning how to play the drums and the xylophone at the same time. Although, he was learning how to play music, not wandering through Perim's version of Death Valley.
Unlike Death Valley, he knows that there should be a Mipedian watering stone a few feet from his location if the information he got from other players is accurate. He does have a backpack filled with bottled water and some granola bars, but he is curious to taste the water from the watering stone. Will it taste like watery sand or will it taste like the purest thing in existence like many players claim it to taste?
He is very curious and decides to investigate the water stone. He knows that he should be searching for Iflar, but he doesn't have any leads right now. Maybe the Crown Prince is thirsty and drinking from the water stone, Reggie sheepishly thinks. He highly doubts that Iflar would leave himself in the open like that, but it's possible. Everyone gets thirsty at one point, especially in this sun-scorching Location.
The watering stone looks like an irregular-shaped monolith with water swirling around it like a moat. He uses his hands as a makeshift cup for the water and drinks it.
"'So I crept into a hollow where there was a trickle of thick water in a muddy cup of the hills, to suck some moisture off its dirt through the filter of my sleeve.'" Reggie perfectly quotes from memory of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence. He never actually read the book, but he does remember his mother once reading aloud some passages from Lawrence's book when he was little. His mother preferred to read him historical accounts in lieu of fairytales. She wanted him to grow up to accept the world as it is rather than dreaming up a perfect one.
Water is part of this real world, and this water tastes so wonderful. He almost wants to strip out of his uniform and bathe in it, but he knows that this watering stone can get contaminated like wells in Earth deserts. He's not going to cost some Mipedians or players their water source just to indulge in a ridiculous whim.
S-S-S-S-S!
He hears the sound like a basilisk going through the sand. He makes the fatal mistake of any person in a horror movie; he turns around. He sees ominous lines in the sand like Bugs Bunny tunneled here. He reaches for his Scanner, deciding that porting out would be the best solution right now. He feels a sharp, electrical stab in his back and drops his Scanner. Oh dear God, I can't feel my arms and legs! Reggie screams in his mind. The Creature's tail snakes around his middle and squeezes him like a python.
"Thief just like the sandcrawlers!" The Creature hisses at him like a snake. Reggie can feel the Creature's pinchers coming ever so closer to his neck. He knows that those pinchers can decapitate him like the guillotines of the French Revolution.
"You tunnel through the sand like a dishonorable villain. If anything, you're the sandcrawler!" A new voice cuts through Reggie's horrified state. This new voice sounds far more serpentine yet smoother than the Creature that is about to kill him. He hears the Creature turning his head like he was trying to find the location of the mysterious voice.
"Come out, you cowardly sand-" Reggie immediately feels the tail let go of him and he falls into the rough sand. He still cannot feel his arms and legs, but he is able to lift his head. He sees a giant scorpion-like Creature being almost cut asunder by light. Literally, light like a white glow from the sun is attacking this Creature like a dagger. The Creature loses his tail before he wisely tunnels away.
"My apologies, but I needed to wait until he stung you before I could strike. What use would I be if I were paralyzed?" The voice sounds less serpentine and more deeply baritone than before. The light is standing before Reggie, and all Reggie could do is gape. Light is talking to him!
"Do not worry, his stings cause temporary paralysis. It usually lasts for a few minutes, but I'm not sure how long it will last for humans…" The voice trails off like he's unsure, which causes Reggie to laugh. Light is worried about me! I must be mad! Reggie almost laughs hysterically at the thought.
"Oh, you think you're going mad. I better come out." A Mipedian with moon-white skin and long, black hair steps out from the light. He is decked out in blue armor etched with gold that shows off his wispy stomach. He has a purple a cape like one of those fairytale princes. It's Iflar the Crown Prince! Reggie almost screams out loud. The sole reason that he is here is literally standing in perfect scanning position! Tears of frustration burn his eyes because he knows that Iflar is going to leave and he'll have to wait forever before he gets another chance to scan the Mipedian royal.
"Please, don't cry. You're alive and safe. I won't leave until you regained feeling in your limbs. I promise as my word as the Crown Prince of the Mipedians." Iflar reaches out and brushes away Reggie's tears. His claws feel sharp enough to inflict deep cuts on his cheeks, but the Crown Prince applies no pressure. It's like being touched by light.
"I heard you talking earlier. It sounds like you know the importance of water in Locations such as this. More importantly, I know that you can talk. So, please, give me your name." Reggie feels like he is compelled to obey because Iflar has been nothing but courteous to him. To a complete stranger that isn't even a Mipedian.
"I'm Reggie." He thought about giving his full name, but it seems too pretentious to him. Iflar isn't rubbing his royalty in his face, so why should Reggie?
"Can you feel anything, Reggie?" Reggie feels a tingling sensation in his toes and fingertips. He sees that his fingers are twitching, so it means he's getting some feeling back.
"Yeah, sort of." Iflar did say paralysis last for a few minutes, but that was for Creatures. It might take an hour or even more for humans. And I'm not even that fit, Reggie sighs. He regrets not taking gym seriously.
"So it does take longer for humans. Any particular reason you're out in this Location? It's not like the Mipedim Oasis." Reggie isn't certain if Iflar is referring to the oasis's extreme security measures or how it is basically one of the few paradises in Mipedian territory. Either way, the Kashere Driftlands is nothing like that secure fortress.
"Well, I was actually hoping to get a scan….of you." Reggie knows that he looked away nervously. He knows that this must sound horribly creepy to Iflar. Most Creatures hate to be scanned because they consider their code to be precious and personal. It's like reading someone's diary and then posting the contents online for the world to see and laugh at.
"How bold. Most would at least compose me a ballad or promise to beat so-and-so for my code." Iflar's face twists around between mirth and mockery before settling on a disarming smile. Well, Reggie believes Iflar is smiling. He's not exactly an expert on Mipedian facial expressions. Reggie feels his left leg twitch much like his toes and fingers.
"Players really do that?" Reggie is a bit surprised to hear that players have actually met Iflar. The people in the PortCourt told him that they never even heard of someone getting a scan of the Crown Prince. His right arm twitches; he is tempted to reach for his Scanner, but it is a foot too far for his arm to reach.
"Creatures do. You're the first human to have gotten this close to me. Plenty of humans have tried to break into my chambers, but my cousin always chooses the wisest and most ferocious Mipedians to be part of my guard." Almost like a telepath, Iflar answers the questions bouncing around in Reggie's head. Reggie feels his right leg twitch; he wonders if he could stand now.
"Oh, would it be rude for me to ask for a scan of you?" Reggie feels a bit cheeky like he told a double entendre to his teacher. Iflar tilts his head to the side like a Faustian character.
"I miss intimacy. What do scans provide between the Creature and the player? Nothing, maybe some stolen code for a Creature and a victory for your game. I do so miss intimacy." Reggie feels him flush when he hears "intimacy". He has only heard the word being used in a sexual manner thanks to older classmates and mature (immature) shows. He could almost believe that the word had a different definition for Creatures, but Iflar's face once again twists between mirth and mockery. The Crown Prince is joshing with him.
"I never really thought about it that way….I apologize for my rudeness. You did go to the trouble of saving me; it is quite greedy of me to ask for more from you." Reggie coughs a bit when some sand enters his mouth thanks to a mild breeze. Iflar pulls out a small leather-looking sack from his back; there is white-painted pictographs (or at least the Creature version) on the bag. Reggie is reminded of those waterskins that the Assyrians would drink from in ancient times.
"I should be the one apologizing. It is quite inhospitable for me to not give some water to a clearly parched person such as yourself. Tianne would frown at my lack of manners if he were here." The water tastes wonderful just like the one from the watering stone! He guzzles down the water until he's certain that his thirst has been slaked.
"My, you've drank nearly half the water, but then again you are injured and the sun must be quite brutal on your complexion. You're the palest human I've ever seen." It didn't sound like a jibe; it sounds like Iflar is pleased to meet someone who is pale amongst his kind too. It's like kinship between the pale ones.
"I don't really like to go outside. At least on my world. Here is another matter." Reggie has been practically scared to venture outdoors since he was young. It had to do with the uncensored and quite brutal historical accounts that his mother would read to him. Also, there always seem to alarming stories on the news about some rich child being kidnapped and held for ransom. In Perim, he's just a human who only has to worry about being hurt or potentially killed. Actually, it's not really that different from Earth, now that he thinks about it.
"I would love to hear more about your world, but I best be getting back to mine. Mudeenu will send out the Legions if I don't return home soon." Iflar grabs Reggie and hoists him up. Reggie almost falls, but Iflar has a firm grip on him. Reggie can feel his legs holding him up, albeit shakily.
"I can stand on my own. Thank you again for saving me." Iflar lets go of him. Reggie is true to his statement and stands on his own.
"As I said before, I do so miss intimacy. I would love to hear more stories of your world when our paths cross again." Reggie reaches down for his Scanner and brushes the sand off. Iflar watches him almost like he is challenging Reggie to scan him. But Reggie decides not to for it would be insulting to Iflar.
"If the Cothica ordains it." Reggie has heard that the Cothica is the ultimate source of power to Creatures. The Tribes have always been at war with one another for the Cothica. He has always presumed that the Cothica was a more tangible version of God in Perim.
"No, it will be done for I ordain it." Nothing is written…I shall be at Aqaba. That, IS written. O'Toole's Lawrence booms inside Reggie's head; Iflar is as confident as Lawrence of Arabia. Iflar disappears into a stream of light. Reggie chuckles a bit. He didn't get his scan, but he got to see Iflar up close and talk to him! He wants to tell everyone in Chaotic about his adventure, but who would believe him? He didn't have a scan or even a picture to prove his story. It would be like telling everyone that he found the map to the Cothica!
Author's Comments- I noticed that the gang (Tom, Kaz, Peyton, and Sarah) have connections with the leaders of the Tribe. Tom has the best connection since he practically helps Maxxor out when he can. Then, I guess it would Kaz since he does stuff (more like forced to) for Chaor sometimes. Then, Sarah who did help Illexia that one time. Peyton would be last because he never met Iflar on the show and I don't think I've ever seen him around Mudeenu. Then again, Peyton is practically friends with so many Creatures that he probably has more connections than the others do. He's just that approachable and friendly.
Reggie is a character that I have been planning to write for a while. Originally, this story was supposed to have Reggie sneaking around Mipedim Oasis and trying to find Iflar's chambers so he can scan the Creature. I re-wrote the whole story because I didn't like what I was writing. Also, it was going to be much longer than necessary. It was actually going to be more Labyrinth inspired with references to the movie, but I decided to just use the music as inspiration.
Back to Reggie, he's only shown in three episodes. The season one's episodes of "Castle Bodhran or Bust" and season three's "Elementary" episode. However, he's the minor character that got to show up and speak more than once. He came across as polite, rich, and nice; I always liked to delve deeper into those characters. Iflar is also one of those characters that I like to write more about and dive deeper into his character. So I decided it would neat to write a one-shot where Reggie and Iflar meet. You know before Reggie's accident and the Mudeenu debacle. Actually, I'm planning to write three more one-shots revolving around Iflar and Reggie. They are quite delightful to write together.