I finally got around to finishing this chapter! I apologize to everyone for taking so long to update. I've been very busy recently.

Just to warn you readers, this is definitely not my best chapter. I was only able to write bits and pieces every once in a while rather than all at once, and it's mostly just a filler chapter that introduces my new characters and gets them back into the adventure of the story.

So, I will try to make it up to my readers in the next chapter. While this chapter was a little hard to write, I am very excited to write the next one. Now that I have more time, I will hopefully update in the next couple of days.

Enjoy the chapter and please review!

Chapter Fourteen: Rebena Te Ra

Layle woke and saw that Belle was still asleep. Knowing she would be alright, Layle stretched and decided to take a walk around the city of the Selkies. As he exited the infirmary, a Selkie guard saw him and said, "Hey, Clavat, get back here! You shouldn't be walking these streets alone." Layle didn't know whether the man was trying to protect him or insult him, but Layle felt that it might be the ladder. Throwing the guard away from him and taking the money that fell out of his pockets, Layle began to walk away.

"Layle." Sighing, Layle turned to see that Falkar was talking to him. Now that he wasn't occupied by thoughts of Belle dying, Layle saw that Falkar was a tall, young man about Layle's age with short, curly, brunette hair, a large, pointy nose, and not a single scratch on him. Layle also noticed that a part of his lower neck was crystallized. "Where are you going?"

Layle shrugged. "I needed some air." The angered guard rose and charged at Layle. A blue aura appeared around him, and Layle threw him onto the roof of a wooden structure. Turning back to Falkar, he scratched the crystal on his cheek. "I'm just trying to get along with the Selkies."

Shaking his head, Falkar replied, "You aren't going to make many friends that way."

Remembering that Falkar had greeted him, Layle inquired, "How did you know my name?"

"I was talking with your friends, and they told me your name. In case you were wondering, the Lilty is fine. Rulna has not convinced the Council to let them into the city, but I snuck some food out to them."

Ignoring the man's good deed, Layle asked, "Council?"

Falkar smiled. "I apologize for not explaining. The Council is a group of elected leaders that are our government."

"Huh," Layle said in a disbelieving tone.

The Selkie Crystal Bearer sighed. "I don't know what it's like in the Selkie Guild of Alfitaria, but we are quite controlled and work together here in Rebena Te Ra." When Layle questioningly raised his eyebrow, Falkar explained, "That is the name of this ancient town. It was once a grand city where all races could live in harmony, but it was reduced to ruins long ago. So we came here and inhabited it."

Before Layle could ask Falkar why the Selkies had decided to leave Leuda, a Selkie guard ran up to them. "Falkar!" the man exclaimed. Stopping to catch his breath, he said, "There's trouble at the entrance to the city. You must come at once!"

Worried, Falkar began running and called, "Come on, Layle!"

Layle sighed. "Can't I have just a minute of peace in my life?" Wondering why he was even doing this, Layle followed Falkar to see what was happening.

As they neared the entrance of Rebena Te Ra, they saw that Rulna was also running in that direction. "What's going on?" Falkar asked Rulna.

"I have no idea." As with Falkar, Layle was now able to pay attention to what Rulna looked like. He had short, red hair, was tall and muscular, and had a few scars covering his arm and face. Although Rulna had been wearing pants the other day, he was now wearing black shorts that allowed Layle to see that his left knee was crystallized.

How many Crystal Bearers are there in this city? Layle wondered. As he thought this, a Selkie woman ran up to them. She had long, blonde hair and was wearing blue short shorts and a revealing blue shirt. Typical Selkie wear, Layle thought. But the thing that stood out about her to Layle was the blue scar of crystal in between her right thumb and index finger.

The female Crystal Bearer asked, "Who's your friend, Rulna?"

Rulna replied, "I found him in the Rebena Plains. But that's a story for another time. Right now, we need to focus. You can do that, right, Luna?"

Luna sarcastically laughed, but she did not reply. Wondering who she was and what the powers of these Selkies were, Layle decided to remain silent and ask these questions at a later time.

A minute after Luna joined them, the four Crystal Bearers arrived at the entrance to Rebena Te Ra. Layle, who had been expected to see a Selkie argument or problem, was shocked to see Nakta, Yania, and Trookle battling with the two men who had attacked them yesterday. It appeared that a couple of Selkie guards had tried to help Layle's friends, but both guards had been killed. The battle was even, as Trookle was able to Slow rocks being thrown by the blonde, Nakta was able to destroy them with Thunder, and Yania could freeze both enemies in place. But the blonde and dark-haired men were strong and quick, and they were able to dodge many of Yania and Nakta's attacks.

Layle turned to Rulna. "I need to help them!"

Rulna nodded. "I will come with you."

Luna's mouth dropped open. "Are you crazy? Whoever those guys are, they're obviously very powerful! From what I can tell, they're probably Crystal Bearers! We can't just help these strangers when they're fighting such dangerous people!"

Glaring at the female Selkie, Rulna grabbed her hand and pointed at her crystallized skin. "We're both Crystal Bearers, and they are too! I will not allow them to die, and neither should you!" Without waiting for her, Rulna turned, nodded to Layle, and they ran to help the others.

"He's right," Falkar said to Luna. "It doesn't matter who they are; we should still help them." Luna sighed and nodded, and they ran after Rulna and Layle.

They appeared just in time. Just as the blonde was about to throw rocks at an unprotected Yania, Layle grabbed him and threw him into the dark-haired man. Seeing Layle, Rulna, Luna, and Falkar, the men yelled in anger and sprinted away.

"We can't let them get away!" Layle exclaimed.

"He's right," Rulna admitted. "If we don't get them now, who knows how many more times they will attack us. We can't let any more Selkies die." As Layle ran off to make sure his friends were alright, Rulna gripped Falkar and Luna's shoulders. "I know we aren't supposed to help Clavats or Lilties. But these men have seen our city and must be stopped before they kill any more people."

Both Selkies nodded, but Luna was grimacing. "I hope you know what you're doing, Rulna," Luna told him.

"Me too." By now, Layle had convinced his friends to also chase the two men, and the seven Crystal Bearers set out to catch these strange enemies of theirs.

In the port of the Plains of Fum, Varion stepped off of the ship from Costa Faguita and glanced around. I knew it, Varion happily thought, the Plains of Fum did not truly vanish.

Varion was a male Yuke from the Vale of Alfitaria. Only a few weeks ago, he had been living in the Edge of Oblivion with the rest of the Yukes. But, because of Amidatelion and Layle (who all the Yukes knew about from when he had visited the Yuke Sky City), the Yukes had returned to the living world and had reinhabited the Forgotten Forest. While many Yukes were content with staying within the forest, Varion wanted to enjoy all of the world. By the second day of being back in the living world, he had already left the Forgotten Forest. He was astounded by all the buildings and people and nature of this world. Within a week, he had explored all of the Vale of Alfitaria.

But that was not enough for him. The last time the Yukes had been within this world, the Plains of Fum had been right next to the Vale. Varion knew this, and he had been determined to find out what had happened to the Plains. He had finally discovered from a moogle named Stiltzkin that it had drifted far west of the Vale. Excited at this discovery, he immediately set out across the sea in search of this place.

Now, Varion was finally at the Plains, and he was eager to see what he would find in this new land. He only hoped that he would not be rejected by the people of this land. For he was not only a Yuke, but he was a Crystal Bearer as well. Looking down at his right arm, Varion stroked the green crystal that covered part of his upper arm. Although he did not truly have a body and had worn more than one set of armor in his life, the crystal was always located on the same part of his current body of armor.

Shaking his head, Varion looked back up. It did not matter that he might be hated by the people or attacked by monsters. There was an entire continent for him to explore, and he planned to see every bit of it. Forgetting about his doubts and worries, Varion headed west into the unknown.