Ryuu stood at the castle gate, and saw the long bridge. He began to walk up on it. He was nervous about meeting the adult Skeksis, and also still in shock to learn that he was a Skeksis himself. What would the adults think of him? Would any of them come forth to claim him as their child? Did they have any other children?... So many questions that needed answers. But then, why hadn't his Gelfling parents told him the truth of what he was when he was younger?
When he got to the very entrance at the end of the bridge, he saw two of those huge black beetles. They were actually Garthim soldiers, guarding the entrance. They sprung to life, but stood where they were.
Ryuu was scared, but he knew he had to pretend he wasn't. "I have come to see the Lords of the Crystal. I am Ryuu. Skeksis, like they are." he spoke in his strongest voice, even though some fear showed through it.
One Garthim walked up to him, making him even more nervous. It got behind him. Ryuu watched it warily. He didn't let it get directly behind him. The other did the same and nudged him. "Let me pass, Garthim!" he ordered.
The Garthim were actually trying to show him the way, but the young Skeksis couldn't help but bolt in fear. He ducked their advances and ran into the entrance. His spikes stuck out on his back from his garb, bouncing as he ran. The Garthim charged after him.
Ryuu had no idea where he was going. He ran up some stairs and saw no signs of anyone around. But it was when he reached the upper levels that he finally stumbled into someone.
He was screaming, and focused only on running away from the terrible "beetles," so he did not see the figure that stood in his way. He collided with the Ornamentalist. He ran straight into him and fell backward onto his back. Ekt was completely surprised and shocked.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" he shrieked in surprise. When he looked down at who had crashed into him, he saw it was a Skeksis that he had never seen before.
"Ahhh! Who are you?!" Ekt demanded, stepping back in dismay.
"I am Ryuu, here to see the great Lords of the Crystal. Are you one of them?" Ryuu asked nervously.
"I know every last Skeksis. But I don't know you! There's no Skeksis called Ryuu!" Ekt shrieked.
"Can I see the Emperor? I come to have my family released." Ryuu pleaded.
"Your family?..." Ekt had calmed down more, but was still in shock.
"Yes. Please, take me to your Emperor." Ryuu said.
"You have much youth on you. Perhaps you should come with me. Ugh! Gelfling clothes! Yuck! You are in need of new robes." Ekt proclaimed.
"Enough! Take me to your Emperor, NOW!" Ryuu exclaimed angrily, getting fed up with this female Skeksis. At least he thought it was female.
"Fine! But your terrible clothing won´t help you be welcomed. Come, now." Ekt began to lead the way.
Ryuu was watching this elder warily. He had never seen another Skeksis before. 'Is this my mother?' he wondered.
"What's your name?" Ryuu asked.
"SkekEkt, the Ornamentalist." Ekt replied.
"Okay." Ryuu said hesitantly.
Ekt soon had him in the throne room. "Lords! Look! I found a young one here, in the hallway! Does anyone know about this?!" he demanded.
The other Skeksis gasped at what they saw. They had never seen such a young Skeksis before. Not since they were young themselves, but this one was much smaller than any of them had ever been.
Ryuu looked at all of them. They all looked pretty furious and frightening. And his parents were some of these creatures? No wonder Aughra had spoken of them the way she did. He saw one that sat on a throne. That one must be the Emperor. He began to step away from Ekt's side. He couldn't help but be nervous.
"Who are you?" the Emperor demanded. His eyes lit up as he didn't recognize this Skeksis.
"I am Ryuu, of the Stonewood clan. Surely, you know of them. Mighty Emperor. I come to seek my family. Are they here? If you have them, please, don't harm them! They have done nothing to harm you! They just want to live their lives peacefully back home..." Ryuu explained.
"Skeksis, of the Stonewood clan? That's absurd!" the Ritual Master ridiculed.
"No Skeksis lives with Gelfling anymore!" the Historian stated.
"I have!... Please, your Lordship. Please, let my family go." Ryuu begged. He kept a low profile.
The Emperor was baffled.
This young Skeksis had courage to come and ask this of him. He didn't know this young pup, but then, it hit him. This had to be the baby that the Chamberlain had given birth to so long ago, and lost!
He saw a hint of some of SkekSil's features on him. Some of SkekLa's as well. It was obviously their long lost baby. He also sounded somewhat like SkekSil. Now, he had been ruined by Gelflings, in the Emperor's eyes.
Sil and La were not in the room right now, and remained unaware of the news about their son.
"Welcome, young Ryuu. We will see that your family is released. Who are they?" the Emperor was just playing along for the moment.
"Chet, Mivoda, Kinama, Julli, and Mati." Ryuu stated.
The Emperor grinned, then declared, "Scroll Keeper... send for the Chamberlain and the Illustrator right away."
"Yes, Emperor." Ok replied with a bow. He left with a huff, as fast as he could.
"You are to stay here until we know more of you. General, go tell the Scientist to halt on anymore of his work, and bring him here too." So ordered. "Your friends are surely among the... people our Scientist is working with." he said to Ryuu.
"Yes, Emperor." Ung replied, and growled on his way out.
"Come up here, young one..." So said. He had an uncomfortable way about him, but Ryuu did as he was told. He went up and stood on the Emperor's right hand side.
Ryuu didn't like the way the lead one was looking at him.
Soon, Ok, Sil, La, Ung and Tek were all in the throne room too. The three that hadn't been in there before were shocked at what they were seeing. A new Skeksis!
Chamberlain saw that the new Skeksis, whoever they were, was in his spot! He began to approach the throne. "Hmm. What are you doing in my place?" Sil demanded.
"Chamberlain, does this young one mean anything to you?..." the Emperor asked him.
As the Scientist gazed at the two Skeksis sizing each other up, the young one backed away, but he saw the obvious resemblance between Sil and the young one.
Sil was about to talk when he was interrupted. "Sire, if I may say something?" Tek asked.
"Go on, Scientist." So replied.
"My Emperor, so many trines ago, when Lord Chamberlain came back from his trip into the wilderness, and he said he had lost his child... I believe this is his lost baby." Tek proclaimed.
The two looked at each other in shock. Even La had a gasped look on her face. This was her child! She did now see the resemblance of her hair with his, for sure, but this young one looked much more like her mate.
Sil did clearly see some of himself on this young one after skekTek´s statement... but many things seemed off about the young one. He wore nothing of Skeksis robing. How had he survived? Where had he been all this time? He felt upset at seeing his son dressed with filthy Gelfling clothing, and yet, had the sudden impulse of holding him between his arms.
He refrained, he knew he couldn't get all emotional in front of the others. La was having the same conflicting emotions, but also stood still, as she knew this too.
"Where you be all this time?..." Sil demanded.
"Raised by Gelflings. I seek to get them out, and have answers." Ryuu declared firmly.
"I see. But Skeksis have great use for Gelfling..." Sil stated. Then he went up and whispered to the Emperor to not have any Gelfling drained for a short time. Just until things got straightened out. They had to get this youngster to trust them. He was one of them, after all.
"Very well. Chamberlain, since he belongs to you two, you and the Illustrator are to take charge of Ryuu." So ordered.
"Ryuu?" La asked in shock.
"His name, he told us." Zok replied.
Chamberlain couldn't believe that SkekDar, the name he had given to him, had been changed to this… Gelfling name. He would go along with it, for now, if it was easier for the youngster. But he would make sure that his child knew who he really was.
La, all too happily, came up to the young one now that she was sure she would not be reprimanded for it. "Come along, let's get you started!" she made a fuss, trying to comb his hair back with her talons, softly poking at his odd clothes and thinking forward into having Ekt design something worthy of a Skeksis for him.
"Where are we going?" Ryuu asked cautiously, as he dodged La´s fussy hands.
"To show you castle!" Sil replied. His mate was already showing too much enthusiasm.
The three of them left the throne room. The other Skeksis could see they really looked like a family. The first Skeksis family to be created.
The Scientist then came up to the Emperor. "The young one must not know what we do with Gelfling, sire. Would he be allowed to stay since he's likely to defend them?..."
"The young one may be a threat, sire!" the Slave Master said.
"We will see. But everyone of you will take to giving the young one a proper Skeksis education. And let him know that Gelfling are not to be trusted." SkekSo ordered.
"And if he betrays our trust?" Zok asked.
"We will banish him if he doesn't work out." So stated.
"He's so young and innocent, Sire..." Ekt pointed out.
"He will learn our ways, or else. He's a Skeksis, and I realize it would be useful to build our numbers. This is how I see it right now. He is of SkekSil and SkekLa. Considering what they do for jobs in this court, SkekSil is one of the most powerful among you all, if not in strength, but his Skeksis wealth. We will surely find some job for this... Ryuu to do among us." So determined.
"We really don't need another Chamberlain or Illustrator." SkekUng pointed out. "They both are pitiful weaklings."
"But if not for SkekLa beside the Chamberlain, there would have been no baby to begin with!" the Gourmand stated. Then, he suddenly realized something, and laughed. "That was why he was so hungry! I had no idea I was feeding both him and the baby for so long!"
"What's done is done. A young Skeksis among us could be useful! Train him well, everyone. Make a worthy Skeksis out of him." So ordered. "And Ornamentalist, make sure that he gets some good robes. Get him out of that ridiculous Gelfling clothing."
"Yes, sire." Ekt replied. He tagged along the same way out where Sil and La had taken Ryuu.
The others were still unsure of what had overcome their leader. Why was he allowing the brat to stay? He was nothing but Gelfling scum now, in their eyes, having been raised by them. He would know nothing of Skeksis ways at the moment, aside of looks.
"And for awhile, there is to be no Gelfling draining, SkekTek. Just for a small while. We can live from our storage for the moment. I want to see who he picks out when it's time to show him the Gelfling prisoners." So ordered.
"Yes. As you command." Tek replied.
The others didn't like this. And now they had to stoop to this level to hide the drainings from a youngster.
…
When Ekt caught up with Sil, La, and Ryuu, he started going into a fuss too. "Oh, you poor young dear! We need to get you some new clothes!" Ekt fussed.
"I'm happy with what I'm wearing, thank you." Ryuu retorted.
"That is not proper Skeksis robing, Ryuu! All Skeksis must wear proper court robes." La insisted, agreeing with Ekt with a mutual nod.
"Robes help us feel proud of being who we are and determine our rank too! Not just symbolize our jobs." Sil added. "And they be good to hide our indecent body parts."
"I am dressed, and not showing any bad body parts..."
"But yes, you are, child! Come along!" Ekt said, and took him by the arm, pulling him forcefully. Ryuu couldn't yank his arm back in time.
The young Skeksis was led to Ekt's chambers, where he saw all sorts of magnificent colors of unmade robes lying around.
"So, take your pick! Which do you like?" La asked.
Ryuu looked around, indecisive and wishing he could just keep his Gelfling clothes. All the fabrics looked beautiful, but he was not interested in dressing with them. He looked at Sil and La. He saw that their robes had similar colours. And he had caught on that they were his real parents. Surely, they weren't all that bad. They did seem concerned about him.
Half-heartedly, he then pointed at some random fabric, picking tan and red hues, so Ekt would stop fussing and his parents would be happy.
For now, he let his thoughts slip away and he reluctantly was forced to get out of the clothes that he had been raised in, and into Skeksis garb material. SkekEkt sure liked to spoil others with his ways of pure beauty.
It took some measurements to get the right size for Ryuu.
Sil watched what was going on yet. Then he thought of something and advised, "Probably not make anything too permanent right now, SkekEkt. He is still child, obviously. Still growing up. Spikes not even full size on back! Will have to make many sizes as he grows more."
"Was he born with spikes at all?" La asked, with a sudden scary thought about how painful it could have been for Sil to give birth to a spiked baby.
"No. No hair feathers either." Sil replied. "Spikes growing in, I see."
"I was thirteen when they started growing." Ryuu said.
"And you are how old now?" La asked.
"It's been fourteen trine, SkekLa..." Sil said.
"Ah, of course! I'm not thinking straight right now. Sorry." replied SkekLa.
"Yes. I'm fourteen trines old." Ryuu said. "What age will I be an adult Skeksis?"
"Not know when you become adult officially. You are first Skeksis child born to us." Sil said.
"You see, we Skeksis were never officially born. We split from an original other... But that's not important!" La stopped her explanation when her mate and Ekt glared at her, then swiftly accommodated her statement into something that she could harmlessly tell the young one. "What I mean is we came into this world as adults, but we had youth like yours, once. We were born adults. So we don't know when you will come of age. Understand?"
"Definitely some trines left to be a youngling." Ekt stated.
"Tell me. Was the Emperor really being welcoming?" Ryuu asked.
"Yes! He sounded like he was." La said. "That was the first time I've heard him be that welcoming to someone, in a long time."
"First rule is to not refuse command of Emperor. He not always so nice. His word is law of Skeksis." Sil stated.
"And you two are my birth parents, right?" Ryuu asked. "What are your names?"
"Yes... We are." La replied. "I guess I would be your father, even though I call myself female. I am SkekLa the Illustrator."
"And I am mother. Roles sort of reversed from ordinary Thra beings. Reversed, compared to what you were raised by." Sil explained. "I am SkekSil, Chamberlain."
"But when can I see my Gelfling parents? I need to know they're okay." Ryuu pleaded.
"Whenever Emperor agrees. He promises soon." Sil replied. He looked at La. They both knew what would become of any Gelfling that was brought here to the castle.
When Ryuu was finally in his new robes, he looked a little more like an actual Skeksis. He had chosen tan clothes, to have something with him that would resemble the colors of his Gelfling clothes if even a little, and to compliment his parents' colors as well, some red highlights here and there.
"You look better than before!" Ekt admitted.
"You look more like Skeksis now." Sil said.
"So, what do you all do?" Ryuu asked curiously. He was still wary, but he wanted to know what his parents did for work. What the Skeksis were about.
"I make clothes and many beautiful adornments and designs!" Ekt declared.
"I draw portraits of others, and work alongside the Scroll Keeper to make accurate records of paperwork, since he often falls asleep doing it. I also record drawn information about the Scientist's experiments too." La explained.
"I also do some work in that area too, to make sure things run smooth. I am peace keeper. At least, try to be. I find out all the best secrets in castle so Emperor knows who's causing trouble and doing what. Try to keep order going. I behind Emperor in line for throne. In case his Highness ever is dethroned, I become new Emperor after him." Sil explained some of his actual work, aggrandizing himself in front of his son. He wanted Ryuu to have a positive idea of him.
"I'd like to tag along sometime and see it." Ryuu was intrigued.
"We shall see." Sil said.
"I think we need a more proper Skeksis name for you, though..." La spoke up.
"I had called you SkekDar as baby, but it might not be so now. Someday, you get proper title when find right job here in castle." Sil explained.
"SkekDar? I never knew that." Ryuu said.
"Well, what about SkekRyuu instead?" La asked, trying to find a solution that could satisfy both her child, and themselves, as worthy Skeksis. "I think that could do. Since half of it is something you're already used to."
Sil knew there might not be much choice. Why use a name that never properly got going? "SkekRyuu, fine. I agree with Illustrator."
"It does have a certain ring to it." Ryuu said. "Thanks, Mom and Dad!" He paused, and looked up at them. "But I still want to see my Gelfling parents… can I?... Please?"
"Soon. When Emperor says so." Sil stated.
"Okay, uh... Mom." Ryuu said hesitantly.
Sil and La knew that it was going to take some time getting used to being called Mom and Dad, but they were the rightful parents of this young one. They never would have abandoned him voluntarily. Even though they were going to be the most responsible for him, to make sure that he learned things properly in Skeksis education, the whole clan would be responsible as well to teach him things. What they did here in the castle, what things had to be limited and respected, just everything that made Skeksis law here in the castle, and sometimes even out of the castle too.