The Yuke's Mistake

"So, what have we here then?" The mysterious being in the shadows asked, in a calm, non taunting manner. They seemed merely quizzical to our being there and not a threat like I had suspected of someone who wouldn't step into view, "tall, slender physique… Long hair and dark eyes? You're clearly Selkies, are you not?" I managed to nod, still unable to move, though that was partially to do with my arms getting tired of carrying Belle. I'd drop her accidentally and injure her beyond a broken leg due to my own stupidity. The armour the unknown host began to clatter again, and the shadow of a humanoid figure was thrown across the ground. Their feet became visible in the light, though they were mostly covered by a long, sweeping cloak. After that came the rest of their body, clothed in majestic blues and yellows crafted of silk and gold. Their sleeves, or rather their entire arms, ended at ankle length and their face was covered in a mask resembling a war helmet in a way. I could feel my thoughts cloud over in confusion, trying to untangle this mystery that was placed in front of us. They looked like Goldenrod, only seemed to be built up on flesh and blood whereas she was clearly nothing but a clump of metal and magic combined.

"I haven't had any real visitors in over a thousand years…"

Was that even possible? Nobody could live that long unless they had some source related to the arcane acts keeping them alive for centuries. Plus all the Yukes had been wiped out…

"Hah!" I cried, not thinking my theory through. Belle seemed to wince; her ear was rather close to my mouth and the dome like room we were in bounced echoes off the wall like rubber. "You got new armour again, thinking I could be fooled Goldenrod! I know it's you! This is the subterranean ruins, isn't it?"

"What?" Belle whispered, her voice still low and thin. Though the Yuke's face was hidden by the sandy coloured mask they wore, I could tell they were thinking the exact same thing. I realised I'd yet again made a false accusation and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I don't understand," the Yuke type person stated. I felt exactly the same, "who is this 'Goldenrod' of whom you speak? And subterranean ruins? You clearly have the wrong person and location young Selkie. My goodness girl, are you quite alright?" They appeared to be talking to Belle, who had suddenly winced again, hinting that another shot of agony had coursed through her injury like a bullet fired from a rifle.

"Fine…" Belle gasped; "I just fell into your lovely abode and snapped my leg in two is all…" the Yuke seemed to have believed her until she said that final part in a strained voice. They began to approach us and inspected her breakage, despite her discomfort and mine. They ran a large, feathered hand over her right leg and she yelped.

"What are you doing! Get off of me or I'll sue you for harassment!"

"Wow, what a likely story. You'll certainly get a lot out of that one missy. 'A Yuke guy touched my leg'. I'm sure the court'll listen to you," they said in a sarcastic tone. They'd revealed their sex at least, proving Yukes were what they sounded like, "anyway, there's nothing to worry about, it's only a small fracture. A minor injury like that can be fixed up with a cure magicite." Belle huffed at the words 'small' and 'minor'. I was trying to figure out what a 'magicite' was.

"Why don't you go and sit down young Selkies?" he suggested, "I'll go grab supplies."

It was a relief to put Belle down so I could stretch my arms and relax my aching muscles. Belle was seldom silent, moaning and whining that her life was going downhill and that her leg hurt. I felt like shouting at her to shut up and accept that life sucks sometimes.

"Belle," I sighed, "when life gives you lemons…"

"You cut them up and make lemonade. I'm not stupid Colonel… Though I do want some lemonade now…" she mumbled dreamily, "You think the Yuke has any?"

"I doubt it," I affirmed, feeling a sudden craving for lemonade as well. We'd used up all our water in the desert and my throat was slowly becoming sore and dry. "What do you think a magicite is?"

"I'm not taking any drugs from a Yuke, so if that's what he's planning…" she was scowling, her face ghostly white and damp with sweat. The Yuke's footsteps became audible and were growing louder as he approached. He emerged from a dark tunnel in the far North West corner of the room, carrying a green, spherical object in his hand and some sort of ancient tome, so battered and dusty that there was no visible title. The book looked to be many a century old, and I wondered how it had kept so well.

"Here we are," he announced, kneeling down in front of Belle. I stood up against the wall and allowed her to rest her head against my legs, my eyes surveying the surroundings we had landed in. It was a stone built place, coloured mostly in greens, blues, yellows and whites with the addition of grey slabs keeping it up. It certainly didn't look Lilty made, and was probably around way before the little tribe dominated the world. It had that musty scent archaeologists and treasure hunters (and thieves) loved, the scent of history and treasures alike. The historical aura it gave off was ruined by Belle's cussing however, the Yuke was holding her leg down to stop her jerking away. The sphere by his side was giving off a green light and was slowly shrinking as the light encased both the Yuke's hands and Belle's leg.

"How did one so pretty learn those words?" he asked her, making her blush. Most Selkie women were suckers for flattery, and Belle was no exception so it seemed. The Yuke could do magic, though was clearly not a bearer. I wondered how he knew such an ancient ritual. His old book deciphered how to heal breakages of the skeletal structure, and turned out to be a rather aged medical book, that seemed solely based on these spherical objects he'd named 'magicites'. After five minutes of magic, the magicite had vanished and Belle's condition had seemed to improve. The Yuke stood up and wiped the dust off of his cloak, picking up his book in the process.

"You can try and stand up now Miss Selkie," he instructed her. Belle looked confused for a second, though obliged to stand up. I waited for the scream to come and for her to collapse, but it never did. She seemed as surprised as I was, and for once in what seemed like forever, she was speechless (the words 'Belle' and 'speechless' were so unlikely to be placed together in a sentence unless you put the words 'never is' in between them that you might have passed out if you heard them).

"Clever," I appraised, letting a snide grin appear on my face, "it's pretty impressive for someone without Crystal Bearer powers to perform an act like that."

"Yeah, thanks I guess," a slightly spellbound Belle mumbled, twisting her leg around in an attempt to ensure it was in good order, "but how did you do it? You're not a Crystal Bearer are you?" The Yuke let out a melancholy sigh and bowed his head, seeming troubled.

"I've been alive for centuries, and never in my life have I thought I'd see the day people no longer relied on magic. The world is developing so fast, and when you spend all your time underground, major changes in lifestyle are so shocking. You mean to say you two cannot cast magic or use magicites?" he sounded slightly perturbed by the sudden change. Belle and I exchanged glances and shook our heads in unison. The Yuke tutted and changed the subject. "So, state your business young Selkies. Here on a romantic stroll? Or were you just seeking medical help for her?"

"He isn't my boyfriend, I hardly know him," Belle snapped in a shrill tone, "and as a matter of fact, we're hardly here on purpose."

"Lost are you?" he asked, "Where do you come from?"

"None of your buis…" I slapped a hand over Belle's mouth before she got carried away again.

"We come from the Selkie Guild near Costa Faguita. We fell through the ground in the Prison Sands to get here."

"Whatever were two young adults like yourselves doing there? Been naughty have we?" I decided not to answer that last question.

"Rescue mission," I announced proudly, "the Selkie tribe were wrongly accused of aiding a fugitive and were incarcerated at the Aerial Prison." The first statement was a lie, the Selkies had been aiding a high profile criminal. I decided it was best not to mention that, mostly because the criminal they'd been aiding was Belle. The Yuke seemed impressed, clearly he'd been expecting different. The fact that all I'd done was give Vaigali reason to sacrifice himself was something I wouldn't say either.

"I see. What are the titles you go by?" he asked us. Belle looked at me funny, as if she was urging me not to give out anything more. I ignored her.

"My name is Keiss," I stated, "she's Belle. We're nothing spectacular…"

"Who're YOU Yuke?" Belle retorted so suddenly it shocked me, "your tribe has been wiped out, save for one individual. And that individual is NOT you. How are you here? How are you alive, and why are you all furry?" she had such a demanding look in her eyes, like tiny lasers cutting through the man. I placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her down, peering over her light brunette hair at the Yuke. He let out another exasperated sigh, pacing the room slowly.

"For your sake, I'll explain. I can sense that you're both curious and you as members of our world have every right to know. Let me take you back, three thousand years."

"Three thousand years ago, when I was about your age and studying as a scholar in a private Yuke and Clavat school, the world was at peace. Tribal Unity was something we lived every day, all four living in harmony within the boundaries of the greatest city in the world at the time, Rebena Te Ra. It was a time of love and passion, when half breeds were a common thing. All were treated as equals, no matter if you were a power hungry Lilty, a poor, working Clavat, a peace loving Yuke or an independent, witty Selkie. Equality reigned, as did real Monarchy, the most notable of which being the famous King Kolka, a true man of the time. In your time, you'd probably expect him to be a Lilty, yet the royal family for years had always been of Selkie blood. Everywhere one looked, you'd see Crystals, like the stars in the night sky. It was like living in a treasure chest ("Why couldn't I have been born in that era?"Belle had asked,) it was such an exhilarating sight. Then, one day a scholar named Larkeicus began to develop technology which was powered by Crystals, in order to gain what he believed to be a more functional world. Due to this, the Crystals began to disappear one by one. War broke out between the four tribes to control the few that remained. Then, in the midst of all the war, a Crystal appeared in the forest. It was a Crystal Core, and it was the last remaining Crystal in the world. Larkeicus decided to go and investigate it, and as an apprentice of his, I accompanied him… Thinking it was just an investigation… The villagers in the forest refused to let us past at first, but they seemed on negotiable terms. Larkeicus disagreed despite my protests and it resulted in death for every last soul in that village. All but one Clavat girl whom he could not destroy. Instead, he kidnapped her and experimented on her until she was just a lifeless body that couldn't act on her own anymore. She could only use the power the Crystal Core had given her, the power to create Crystals, at Larkeicus' command. I was yet another guinea pig in his experiments… experiments designed to cheat death. When he succeeded, I became immortal, but I also became a monster when I came into crystalline contact. I hid down here for the safety of the mortal world, in the ruins of the civilisation he built upon his technology. About a millennium ago, a bunch of young children, probably a few years younger than yourselves, fought against Larkeicus, destroying him and the Clavat girl. All of his creations, save for two, were destroyed along with the man who made them… My name is Veriaulde, and I am the last Yuke of my kind in the world. Over time, my tribe learned to live without bodies aside from their armour. Trapped down here, I was to remain like this until the end. The Lilties overpowered the world, wiped out the Yukes and built far more advanced technology than ever… the etymology of our world is written in blood..."

Veriaulde's tale piqued my interest and clearly changed my views. Both Belle and I just gazed at him in awe, unsure of what to say.

"So you're immortal?" Belle asked.

"Yes."

"And the Selkies DID have royal blood?"

"Yes, they did."

"What happened?"

Veriaulde shook his head, "I do not know that, Kolka died before my birth. You'll have to look him up if you wish to know more. My knowledge on your tribe isn't vast I'm afraid, I grew up with Clavats and Yukes… And monsters."

"It's sad it had to change," I sighed, "a world of magic and fantasy. It sounds much more interesting than our life of hatred and technology. Maybe when Layle and Goldenrod perform the resurrection, it'll return to the world it was centuries ago…"

"Resurrection? The resurrection of the Yuke tribal Crystal? Return the world back to normal? Not likely Mr. Keiss," Veriaulde affirmed, "you see, if the resurrection takes place, an ancient curse will activate and the Lilty tribal Crystal will be destroyed instead. Not that it will affect you of course. Nor anyone here, for this province is Lilty free. But Alfitaria…"

"What?" I rose to my feet abruptly, arm outstretched, and seized Veriaulde's collar, lifting him up, "the resurrection is going to kill the Lilties!" My mind was affixed upon Althea and Cid, both of whom were strong comrades of ours. Had Goldenrod not warned Layle? Or was he so angry at Jegran that he didn't care for the Lilties anymore?

"It is possible the curse will not activate," he stammered.

"But there is a possibility it will, right? I don't think the Princess will think too kindly of the other three tribes if it does occur," Belle sighed. Veriaulde nodded.

"What if we were to stop it?" I questioned, "then could the Lilty be spared? How did you survive the destroying of the Yuke crystal?"

"I cannot die. I am immortal… Though to immortalise an entire tribe so the Yukes can return without killing them all… it is difficult, and not one alive today knows how to do it. You say only ones you call 'Crystal Bearers' can do magic now, huh?"

"Yeah, but I doubt any can make someone immortal. Imagine an immortal Jegran…"

"No," Belle seemed to shudder at the thought.

"I wasn't heading in that direction," Veriaulde affirmed, "maybe one of them can put a stopper to the curse though. All we have to do is warn all of them… How many are there?"

"Layle," Belle began, "and that creepy guy who was stalking me. The one who controls fire? Blaze, was it?"

"He's dead," I stated, "there is also Jegran and Goldenrod; though I doubt they can do that kind of magic. All of them have offensive powers… what are we going to do, crystallise the Lilty tribal crystal? Warp it? Suspend it in midair?" I dropped Veriaulde and sunk to the floor, anguished and annoyed, and began to mull things over.

"What if we prevented the resurrection?"

"We can't do that, we don't have enough time to get to Layle. Nor do we know how we're going to get back to Alfitaria," Belle lounged back against the wall.

"Is there a way out of the ruins alone Veriaulde? Perhaps if we get out, we could find a way home?" I questioned.

"The exit to the ancient ruins we're in as of now is easily accessible. Returning to Alfitaria however…" he rested his head in one of his hands and sighed.

"Yes?" Belle urged.

"It's a difficult task. Alfitaria is separated from our world by a large abyss. By foot, it would take about a year to arrive, and not even the strongest of men would stand much chance of survival. There is one way to get there in a mere few weeks, but it won't be easy."

"It's better than watching an entire tribe fall due to us!" I snapped.

"There is an Airship Larkeicus created before he died, situated in the gateway overlooking the abyss. The Nautilus he named it, and is the fastest Airship in the world, with the ability to become a submarine. When pirate Selkies tried to seize it, he hid it down here. Now the only other access point to this province is strictly forbidden for certainty of death, I had decided to move the Nautilus to its current resting spot. The only problem is that we need a device that can transform Crystals into energy. The device is an ancient staff that he who bestows the power of the Crystal Core can activate. I know someone with those powers, but it's getting the device that is the problem."

"You don't know where it is?" I asked him.

"Oh no, I know where it is, it's just that the location, or locations are dangerous. The staff is split into three segments. One of those segments is in the heart of a Crystal Mine, guarded by an ancient beast said to live for centuries. Another is in a cursed graveyard and the third part is at the bottom of a river, surrounded by air that will kill he who breathes it in. If we are to save the Lilties, which you seem so intent on doing, we'll need this device. The river will be our first location, and it is south east of these desert ruins. Come, I will escort you out."

"Oh, what a relief," Belle sighed once Veriaulde had escorted us out with the help of several elevators controlled by the weight of the person standing on it (Belle and I had to jump about a bit, and my accidental jumping on her foot had resulted in a one sided scrap. My cheek was still sore from where she struck me) "fresh air."

"Welcome, Keiss and Belle, to the fabulous haven the Lilties couldn't dominate. A province belonging solely to the Clavat and Selkie tribes, with the addition of myself," Veriaulde announced, outstretching his arms to the world we stood upon. Though all you could really see from where we stood was a large, ice capped mountain range expanding across the entire length of the far west, until it met up with a dead looking forest you could only just see beyond rolling countryside that seemed to stretch for miles before it reached the landmarks visible to my eye. Mingling in with the dead looking forest was a much greener array of trees which rounded the corner of the fields and ended at a formation of odd, bluish rocks, next to an island smothered in stagnant, low hanging gas. Surrounding said island was a river, and I could just spot some large fish swimming around in the water, probably of the Sahagin type. I had a feeling in my gut that it was the river Veriaulde had described. I pointed in the direction and asked him if I was right, which surprisingly I was.

"I will accompany you two on your journey, you'll need one with magic ability," he affirmed as the three of us began to advance upon the river.

"Thank you Veriaulde," I appraised, looking over his head at Belle who seemed to be in her element; the ground seemed to be rich in treasure. It was quite comical to watch actually. She stopped when the desert was far behind us though, and we began to trek across a small, rocky field with several holes, all looking man made. Large, blue rock formations were scattered here and there with several chunks missing due to what seemed to be pickaxes, coming from the fact that there were several broken heads of the tools left at the foot of a few of the rocks. About half a mile away was the humid looking forest, which seemed rich in wildlife due to the din that monsters, the most recognisable of which being Goblins, were making. To our right was river we were destined to go to next, and Veriaulde steered us in that direction, despite Belle's protests because she could smell Gil buried under the ground. Bracing ourselves and sticking rather close together, the three of us came to an abrupt halt, face to face with our first ordeal.

The river was more like a swamp, with monsters scaling the island in the dead centre and the water, green and sludgy as opposed to the brilliant blues of the Costa Faguita seas. It gave off a foul, pungent odour of dead fish, though the only visible forms of life in the water itself were the Sahagins. Twisted looking plants hung gruesomely over the river bank, oozing with black slime, clearly dead from the lack of nutrients the water contained. A sign by the water's edge seemed to read the name of the 'river', though some of the letters had faded out of sight leaving the name 'R ve B l e' in its place.

"What do you suppose it's called?" I asked, looking to Belle. She shrugged with one arm; the other was preoccupied with covering her nose from the foul stench that the murky waters emitted.

"I'm sure the name isn't compulsory," Veriaulde began, "but it was named the River Belle."

"Ngh naged agter a riger?" Belle asked, her words seeming gibberish due to her face being covered. Veriaulde looked confused. She seemed to inhale a large amount of fresh air, removed her hand and translated what she'd just said. "I'm named after a river?"

"It would seem that way. You do stink after all," I joked. She pretended to strike me, though I could see a small grin trying to burst onto her face.

"How could someone who spends his life among the Onion heads say that to such a dazzling young creature such as me? You ought to jump in, the swamp water would be quite a nice cologne compared to Lilty odour."

"Well, one of us will have to jump in anyway," Veriaulde stated, "the device part is at the bottom of that river, and the only way to get there is to swim."

"No way," Belle retorted, folding her arms across her chest and looking away in disgust, "I'd rather kiss a Behemoth. Or Jegran for that matter."

"You're such a girl," I chuckled, "is the water safe Veriaulde?"

"It should be, as long as the Sahagins are avoided. Regardless of the cleanliness of the water, the three of us should go together. It's dangerous alone." Belle looked at him like she wanted to cleave him in half, and then shot the look at me. I let a smile appear on my face and turned to look at Veriaulde.

"Well, my Yuke friend, you're forgetting something about our tribe. I'm a Selkie. I can go solo," I pinched my nose, withdrew a large breath and leapt into the black depths of the freezing water.