Chapter 4: Amentia
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Bloom gasped close to panic and she stared down into the dark abyss below them. "What do we do? What do we do?"
"We follow them. And quickly," Sky said as he fastened a rope to the edge of the ledge. "I'll go first. You two follow as soon as you're able". With those words, the Eraklian prince started his slide down into the darkness below.
"I'll go next," the redhead said and followed the blond, the brunette princess going down soon after.
The bottom of the shaft, now illuminated by Sky's flashlight, was a grey and dismal hole, the walls covered in moisture. Moss, lichen and fungi covered the rocky walls. A fast flowing river cut through the middle and continued deeper into the darkness of the caves.
"No trace of them," Sky stated as he finished looking around. "Most likely they fell into the river".
"Then we gotta follow," Bloom said, stepping towards the waters.
"Not so fast. Going for a swim will just bring us in danger too," Sky pointed out. "It seems to be full of rocks and the stream is fast. We'll be beaten to pulps if we try swimming".
"But there's no path along the water," Bloom argued.
"No, but there are other tunnels," the blond prince replied, gesturing with his flashlight. "We should be able to follow the river somewhat and hopefully find the others".
"And the pixies?" Aisha asked as she finally managed to get down the rope.
"Okay, maybe we weren't clear on this, but we aren't here to get the pixies out," Sky clarified. "And right now, even if we were here to rescue the pixies, getting Stella and Brandon out is more important".
"I suppose you're right," Aisha slowly agreed.
"Indeed. Come on, we have to hurry. The longer we wait, the worse it'll be for them," Sky said before marching down one of the caves.
...
Brandon gasped as he managed to force his head above the water again. He could feel a massive bruise developing on his back after bashing against a rock. He lifted his flashlight, thanking every divinity he'd ever heard of that it was waterproof, and its light illuminated the rapidly passing cavern walls, as the squire hurtled down the river. "STELLA!" he managed to yell over the roar of water, as he was hurled down the current.
"Over here!" the Solarian princess managed to loudly gasp from somewhere ahead.
Brandon gritted his teeth as he crashed against another rock, the blow almost dislocating his shoulder. He waved the flashlight and caught a glimpse of blonde hair. He pocketed the flashlight and moved his arms and legs, managing to push himself ahead in the water and reached for the blonde. He grabbed her flailing arm and managed to get a look at her. Blood seeped from a wound on her head.
"Hold on!" he called and he felt the blonde's grasp tighten as she heeded his advice. He lashed out with his other arm and caught a passing rock. He tightened his grip, the combined pull of both himself and his girlfriend almost ripping his arm out of its socket. He could feel his tendons protest and his arm was stretched by the force of the water around them.
"Brandon... What are... We going... To do?" Stella asked as she fought to stay above the water.
"For now, we hold on," the brunette grunted, while he scouted around for a possible ledge or anything like it to get them back on dry land.
...
"I'm home," Techna called as she waltzed into the common room, throwing her backpack on the couch.
"Hello, Techna," Flora greeted her. "Did Bloom or Stella join you on your trip perchance?"
"No, they didn't," Techna replied. "Have they gone missing again?"
"It would seem so. So far, I have been unable to contact them," the brunette replied. "They are not even responding to phone calls".
At that moment, Musa walked in, looking like she was trying to pinch her nose off, followed by a very stern looking Griselda. Well, more stern looking than usual.
"Alright, who screwed the pooch?" Techna asked upon seeing their expressions.
"Bloom and Stella," Musa groaned. "You're not going to believe this".
"I assume this will reveal why the two of them have disappeared," Flora guessed.
"We've just gotten word from Red Fountain," Griselda started. "It would seem that Ms. Peterson and Ms. Guildenstern decided to join Ms. Hadith in an ill thought out rescue mission".
"You can tell she's pissed because she only uses their last names," Techna pointed out.
"Thank you for the observation, Ms. Clearwater," Griselda continued in a warning tone, causing Techna to cringe. "Now, according to what we know, they joined up with Sky and Brandon from Red Fountain, who were on a scouting mission to some nearby caves, and got cut off from the exit by Darkar's minions. They are now trapped somewhere in Underland".
Flora stared at Griselda in shock before she exclaimed: "But that... Those... They... THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I..." She interrupted herself to take a deep breath and force herself to calm down.
"If it helps, half the staff, me included, had trouble keeping the volume down," Griselda added dryly.
"Sorry, but you would think they would have learned something from last year," Flora groaned, massaging her temples. "Do they honestly think they live in a comic book? They do not even have the slightest of the necessary training. I would be better qualified for the job and I would still be a bad choice for it, since I am not trained for such a task".
"Not to mention they didn't bring me," Techna grumbled. As she noted the others staring, she asked: "What? I'd love to go on some hectic adventure in some awesome cave system".
"You would," Musa commented. "So, hopefully Sky and Brandon can take care of them until they can drag them back to Alfea".
...
Brandon felt like his limbs were on fire. Every single joint in his arms pulsated with agony and his skin began to feel like it had turned into one big bruise. The rest of his body was progressively getting colder and number, as freezing cave water sloshed around him. Worse, there was no way out of the river. No ledges or anything similar to grab unto.
"What... What are we going to do?" Stella gasped, still clinging to her boyfriend's hand.
"I... I don't... We have to follow the stream," Brandon realised.
"WHAT!" Stella exclaimed.
"Look, the longer... The longer I hang on, the weaker I'll get. When the water finally forces me off this rock, I might be too weak to swim," Brandon explained, struggling to avoid getting a mouthful of water. "And there is no way up. But if... If we let go now, we at least have a... A chance to get up later".
"Al... Alright. If you say so," Stella said, although it was clear from the look in her eyes that the prospect terrified her.
"Alright. On three," Brandon said. "One, two, three". At the final count, he let go of the rock and the two of them tumbled down the river once more. Stella clung to Brandon's hand, as they bopped up and down the water's surface.
"Just... Hold on," Brandon said as they were forced down the stream. He was smashed with great force against a rock and he felt his ribs buckle as the flashlight in his front pocket was crushed, plunging the two of them into darkness.
"Brandon! The light!" Stella called.
The squire opened his mouth to reassure her, but his head collided with something hard, knocking the consciousness out of him.
...
"Hey, I think I recognise that tunnel," Aisha said and pointed.
"Wait, did we already pass through here?" Bloom questioned.
"I don't know. Every single part of this looks exactly same," Sky said in frustration, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Yeah, whomever live here should put up some signs," Aisha added with a serious nod.
"I can only agree," Bloom said as the group trudged down another cave. "Are we at least following the river?"
"Roughly;" Sky said, taking a look at his compass. "But it's hard to judge. The river could turn or go further down and we'd have no way to know".
"This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?" Bloom asked, though it was obvious from her tone that she already knew the answer.
"'Fraid so," Sky noted.
"Hey, I think I recognise that tunnel," Aisha said and pointed, causing her two companions to sigh.
...
Slowly, consciousness seeped into Brandon's tired head. His entire body protested his awakening, demanding that he return to sleep. But he knew he couldn't. Slowly, he forced his heavy eyelids open. Light from glowing crystals caused him to wince, as his brain fought to interpret the blurry mess that was his vision. He realised he was laying on something. It felt like either coarse sand or very fine gravel. He struggled to move, jolts of pain leaping through his nerves at every twitch of his muscles. He felt completely beaten, as if his entire body has been used as a jump-rope by a clumsy ogre. Slowly, the blurry mess started to clear and shapes started to solidify.
And that's when Brandon saw it.
Two great lidless, black eyes observed him, attached to a scaly face, a forked tongue darting in and out between its lips at regular intervals. As his vision adjusted, he saw the rest of the creature's body, vaguely humanoid, with a hunched form covered in scales, a tail swishing back and forth behind it. Most of the scales were dark colours of the deep earth, with some coloured a light blue. The creature was clad in sparse clothes, just enough to attach a variety of pouches and bags to.
"This one seems alive," it hissed delightfully and looked up.
Despite his muscles begging him not two, Brandon turned to see whom the lizard-man was talking too. The first thing he noticed was Stella, her skin completely pale and filled with numerous wounds, some of them still dripping blood. Behind her stood another lizard-man, this one much larger and more muscular, easily dwarfing its companion. Some of its scales were a fiery orange and the creature carried a massive metal club. The big lizard grunted in affirmation and moved to pick up Stella.
"Don't... Touch her," Brandon groaned and fought to get up.
The big lizard's reaction was immediate, its thick and muscular tail crashing down on Brandon, knocking all the air out of his lungs as he was forced into the sand beneath him.
"Abrupto, calm down," the blue-tinged lizard admonished. "We're trying to help them, not completely break them".
"He was getting ready to attack," the muscular one growled.
"He was confused and scared," the blue-tinged insisted. "Typical orange behaviour. Hit things first and question it later".
"Look, one more comment about my scales and you can drag these two back home yourself," the big one growled warningly.
"Fine, fine," the blue-tinged one said and looked down on Brandon. "Listen, just remain calm. We'll try to help you".
The big lizard picked the two fallen humans up in its arms and began carrying them down a tunnel, its smaller comrade at its side.
"Where... Are you taking us?" Brandon managed to ask.
"To the capital," the blue-tinged responded. "The city of Domum. Ever heard of it?"
"I'm not... Sure," Brandon said. "Who... What are you?"
"Troglodytes. I'm not surprised you've never heard of us. We do not have a lot of dealings with you people from the surface," the blue-tinged troglodyte said. "My name is Sponsus and my companion here is Abrupto".
The big lizard grunted in a way that could probably be translated as an affirmation. After some more walking, he continued with actual words by saying: "Shall we bring them before the royals?"
"Not immediately, no. They'll need to rest," Sponsus said. "But we can bring them up there when I have to deliver her flowers". The last sentence was said as a happy sigh, as the blue-tinged troglodyte somehow managed to seem a bit doe eyed.
"Here we go again;" the big one grunted in annoyance.
"Not only will I deliver her the rare flowers we gathered, but I will also show her my selflessness, by helping two wounded surfacers," Sponsus continued, lost in his own thoughts. "Surely, my beloved will see in my acts that I am worthy of her radiance and perhaps return to me my pure love, though it may never be as pure as her beauty and brilliance and..."
"Would you shut up?!" Abrupto exclaimed in annoyance. "I swear, you blues are just incapable of not puking your sappy love stories all over the place. It's like you never get that perhaps not everyone wants to hear about how sad you are".
"You're just saying that because you're orange," Sponsus said defensively. "You can't understand the pure love we have".
Brandon cringed as he started to fear he was going to end up in the middle of a lizard brawl. He wasn't sure if he could handle that, though he was pretty sure Stella couldn't. She still hadn't woken up, slowly breathing in the big troglodyte's grasp.
"I understand that if you crack another comment about my scales, you will lose yours," the orange-tinted one shot back.
"Oh, so you can take cheap shots at my colours, but it's wrong when I do it?" Sponsus asked. "Well, at least your hypocrisy is your own, huh?"
The big troglodyte growled, but did not otherwise respond, continuing to march through the caves.
Sponsus sighed and said: "Look, I know you're not her biggest fan right now, but I really do love her. I'm sorry for making it all about your scales and I'm sorry for going on like that. I know it's a bad habit of mine".
After a moment, Abrupto replied with: "Likewise".
"Great. Now that you're not about to flay each other anymore, can I ask you something?" Brandon asked. "What's with the whole colour talk?"
"Troglodytes are born with different colours. They mean different things," Sponsus replied. "Oranges, for example, are big and strong, while blues are devoted and loyal. Then there's the yellow, who are clever and flexible".
"That's only the men," Abrupto grunted.
"Right, should probably have added that," Sponsus admitted. "Thanks for pointing it out".
The orange-tinted troglodyte responded with a non-committed grunt.
They walked out of a tunnel and before them lay a massive city, constructed of great stone buildings, shaped almost like pyramids. Numerous stone houses were decorated with crystal lamps, shining in several colours, adding contrast to the dull buildings around them.
"Welcome to Domum," Sponsus said jovially, gesturing with a wide swing of his arms. "Now, let's get you to my clinic so we can get a proper look at the two of you".
...
Stella groaned as her brain slowly booted up. She felt weak, hollowed out even, a most dreadful state that was accompanied by a thundering headache, as if somebody was using her head as a bongo drum. And was using a sledgehammer to play said bongo drum.
The buzzing in her ears slowly faded and she heard what she was pretty sure was Brandon say: "...ly best if she sees me first, okay?"
"I understand," came a second, unfamiliar voice.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" a concerned Brandon asked as he leaned over her prone form, his face a blurry mess.
"Tots... Awful..." Stella weakly replied.
"Alright, that's to be expected," Brandon said. "Listen, we're in the care of Sponsus, a troglodyte. Ever heard of those?"
"No... Can't say I have," Stella said.
"Right, well the short version is that they are giant lizard people," Brandon explained. "So please don't freak out. Sponsus is a healer, so he needs to check up on you".
"Alright... I'll try," Stella mumbled as she pondered why this Sponsus guy had a spinning medical clinic.
"Alright, let's see," Sponsus said as he leaned in over Stella and the Solarian princess had to suppress a gasp as she glanced into his big, unblinking eyes. His hands hovered over her unmoving form as he stared at her with his lidless, unending gaze. It was downright unnerving, not at all helped by his tongue darting in and out every few seconds, occasionally even snaking all the way up to lick his eyes. It made the blonde feel quite vulnerable and exposed.
"Well, sadly I am unfamiliar with your bodies, so the process is slow," Sponsus admitted. "Luckily, your mate has been a wonderful aide. However, you have lost a great deal of blood. I'll place an order for some greens that can probably help you with that. Now, is there anything you need?"
"It may sound totally... Stupid all things considered," Stella slowly started. "But I'm... Really thirsty".
"Alright then. Brandon, that urn over there holds water," Sponsus said and pointed.
As the brunette squire went ahead, Stella got a chance to look around. It was a sparsely decorated room, with a bed, a window and shelves lined with various herbs and urns of what she assumed was medicinal liquid.
"Gotcha," Brandon replied and went for the urn in question. As he picked it up, he asked: "I'm curious. I know there are things growing in caves, but where do you get enough food to support a city of this size?"
"Farming colonies close to the surface," Sponsus explained as he took the urn from the squire and poured water into a clay pot. "We do also grow some plants down here in the light of the crystals, but not the same as those that grow in the light above".
"Makes sense," Brandon replied, rubbing his chin.
"The others... What about the others?" Stella asked.
"No clue I'm afraid," Brandon replied. "I talked with Sponsus here about it, but he says that he has duties to attend to here and cannot go out into the caves. We'll have to talk with the royals of the city about finding our friends".
"The two of you were very lucky that I was already on an errand out in the caves," Sponsus added. "We are forbidden from wandering outside without permission".
"Why?" Stella asked.
"Monsters have begun stalking the tunnels," Sponsus said with worry in his voice. "Monsters that haven't been seen in decades. The tunnels have always held some dangers, but the rotting ones are a rare sight".
"Those monsters in Darkar's service," Brandon clarified.
"The dark spirit that haunts the Forbidden Depths," Sponsus said gravely. "We do not go there".
"We're not even supposed to be here in the first place," Brandon sighed as he glanced out the window. After a moment, he asked: "Change of subject, why the different coloured lamps? I notice there's one on most of the houses. Do they mean anything?"
"They're there to make things easier for us males," Sponsus said. "Helps avoid misunderstandings".
"Such as?" the squire asked.
"Well, like a yellow asking to mate with one that's bonded to a blue," Sponsus replied in a tone that made it clear that this ought to be obvious.
"You'll have to elaborate," Brandon said. "We surfacers don't have anything like that".
"Well, where to start," Sponsus said, his tail waving back and forth as he began thinking things through. "The colour of a troglodyte says a lot about what they are. Blues, like me, bond to a single mate and then we stay together until death. However, both the orange and yellow cannot bond like that. Instead, they have multiple mates. Oranges usually have a harem they're comfortable with, while the yellow mates with whomever they want to. The lamps help make it clear who's welcome where. Yellow lamps means she won't mind being visited by the yellows. Blue means she's bonded with a single mate. Orange means that she's part of a harem. It makes it so much easier for everybody involved. Of course, if she wants to be left alone, she can always just turn her lamp off".
"That's... Different," Brandon replied. "Interesting, but very different".
"Don't you people signal whom you want to mate with?" the blue-tinged troglodyte asked.
"Would probably make things easier, but no, it's often a bit more complicated than that," Brandon said, scratching the back of his head. "What about you? Do you have a mate?"
"Sadly, no, though I have already bonded to one," Sponsus sighed. "But she has yet to return my affection. Not that I blame her, it would be a big decision. I hope one day to either finally be accepted or rejected, but I will be patient for my beloved, for surely one as grand as she cannot lower herself to..."
"Sponsus, I get it," Brandon interrupted. "It's not as simple as that".
"No," Sponsus sighed in agreement as he surveyed the sea of lamps in the city. "I suppose it isn't".
...
Flora walked through the door into the common room, a cage with Kiko inside in her hands.
"Finally arrived?" Musa commented, looking away from the television. "Sad that his owner isn't around to greet him".
"I am sure Kiko will manage," Flora stated as she gently put the cage down on a table. "Any news about them?"
"No. Last thing I heard was that they were sending someone to the caves, but that was half a day ago," Musa replied. She sighed, before asking: "Seriously, what were they thinking?"
"One could probably argue that they were not," Flora said, causing the black-haired girl to chuckle. "But if I had to guess, I would wager that they were concerned about the pixies and wanted to assist them now rather than later".
"Stupid," Musa stated, knocking her head back into the sofa cushion. "Why didn't they say anything?"
"Because they were well aware that we would feel obligated to stop them," Flora said as she sat down in the sofa. "They mean well, even if that does make them make some... Less than rational choices".
"You'd think they would have learned something after last year," Musa muttered.
"Perhaps last year just reinforced the lesson that action is very much necessary to get things done," Flora hypothesized.
"Well, they would be right. Action is necessary to get things done," Musa agreed. "But there's a world of difference between planning on doing something and charging in screaming your head off".
"I can only agree," Flora stated. "Hopefully, they will be able to find them all without too much trouble".
...
"I... Really wish... They had some... Elevators," an out-of-breath Stella slowly said as Brandon helped her up the long stone staircase that lead to the central building.
"Don't worry, we're almost there," Brandon reassured her as he looked up the building. "Just... A few dozen stairs or so more".
Stella groaned miserably. The blonde was still incredibly pale and despite Sponsus' care, several scars marked her skin.
In front of the two, the blue-tinged troglodyte easily scaled the stairs of the city, using both arms and legs to ease the burden. On his back was attached a bundle of what looked like crimson, thornless roses.
"So, any protocols we should know? Things that we should or should not say? Anything like that?" Brandon asked as they slowly neared the top.
"Just be nice and respectful. I am sure my beloved will show generosity to you. For she is merciful and kind, her heart as beautiful as the reddest Abyss Rose and her..." He coughed and added: "My apologies. My unfulfilled bond with her makes me terribly prone to elaborate tributes to her wonderfulness".
"We... Noticed," Stella dryly added.
The group finally ascended to a platform, high above the city. Before them lay a massive and ornately decorated building, muscular orange troglodytes in armour flanking the gates.
"What now?" Brandon asked as they stopped.
"We wait for Her Majesty to grace us," Sponsus replied in excited anticipation.
Minutes slowly passed as the group waited.
"I'm sorry, I do hope you're not getting impatient," Sponsus added apologetically, though he himself looked as excited as before, perhaps even more so.
"It's... Okay. Used to... Royal stuff taking... Five times as much... Time as it should," Stella said, using Brandon to support her wobbling knees.
Suddenly, horns were blown and the great doors opened. A procession of silk clad troglodytes danced out of the opening, weaving in and out among each other in an elaborate pattern.
"Also, lots of presentation," the brunette squire added to Stella's previous comment.
Finally, after much dancing, waving and acrobatics, the dancers lined up and a troglodyte clad in crystal covered jewellery walked down among them. The royal troglodyte was about Sponsus' size, but coloured orange instead of blue.
"Ah, princess Amentia. You grace us with you radiant presence," Sponsus declared, falling on a knee. "I have brought you a token of affection, to show you my pure and unsullied dedication to your eternal beauty". He retrieved the flowers from their spot on his back and stretched out his hands to give them to her.
"Ah, that explains why you were so eager to get out of the city," Amentia replied, her voice even though very similar to Sponsus'. It suddenly occurred to Brandon and Stella that they could neither see nor hear any difference between the troglodyte genders. "I... Appreciate the gift," she said and took the roses, before letting her tongue flick in and out above them. "They smell wonderful". She glanced up, finally noticing the two humans. "And who are they?"
"While out gathering the bounty of the abyssal roads, I stumbled upon these surfacers in trouble," Sponsus said, gesturing to the two. "I brought them to my clinic and nursed them back to health to the best of my abilities".
"How kind of you," Amentia stated, her tone as neutral as ever. "My apologies, but we have very little to do with the surface dwellers. Who are you and what are you doing in our domain?"
"This here is Princess Stella Guildenstern and I am Squire Brandon Hauser. We were chased down into the caverns and split from our group by the... Rotten ones I think you call them," Brandon explained, looking to Sponsus for confirmation. "Their leader has been attacking the surface, so we were looking for ways into his domain. Now, we just want to rejoin our friends and get back to the surface". That's when he suddenly noticed that Amentia was staring at him. More so than the troglodytes usually did. It made him feel uncomfortable for some reason.
"I sadly cannot send any to help you find your friends. The tunnels have become too dangerous," Amentia said. "But your people have my blessing to look through them themselves. That being said, I can have Her Majesty escorted back to the surface. On one condition".
"Sure," Brandon replied.
"You'll marry me," the troglodyte princess demanded.
A needle dropped to the ground would have sounded like a grenade going off in comparison to the silence that reigned in the following couple of seconds.
"What," Brandon flatly stated, more out of confusion than genuine curiosity.
"Him... Marry you?" Sponsus asked, clearly as confused as Brandon. "Wha... I mean... I do not wish to question your decisions, it just seems a bit... Sudden".
"I have my reasons," Amentia said, eyeing Brandon. "So, do we have a deal? We get married and I make sure the princess gets escorted to the surface".
The squire looked from Stella to Amentia and back again, his expression the very definition of befuddlement.
"Brandon... Don't," Stella pleaded. "We can... Get back on... Our own".
"Don't," Sponsus warned. "The caves are filled with the rotting ones, in addition to the usual dangers. You can stay at my clinic for as long as you want".
"But Stella needs proper medical care from somebody who knows the human body," Brandon sighed. "I could maybe do more for her if I had my first aid supplies, but I lost them all in the river". With a look of resignation, he turned to the troglodyte princess and said: "I accept your proposal".
Sponsus just shifted his unblinking gaze from the squire to the troglodyte princess, his lidless eyes filled with emotional turmoil.
"Very well. Abrupto, you will escort the princess back to the surface. Make sure she meets up with some other surfacers before you return".
The hulking troglodyte grunted in confirmation and stepped over to the shocked blonde.
"But... You can't..." she tried.
"You need medical attention. You lost way too much blood and, no offence to Sponsus, I don't want to take any chances with your health," Brandon explained, before quietly adding: "Don't worry. I'll try to find out why she suddenly wants me. Maybe I can fix it".
"Come. We have a wedding to plan," Amentia demanded as she returned into the castle.
"Such a romantic," the squire humourlessly quipped as he followed her into the structure, where after the great doors closed.
Sponsus fell to his knees, staring at the gates.
"What... Just happened?" Stella questioned, glancing at Abrupto with confusion in her eyes.
The massive troglodyte responded with a grunt and a shrug.
...
"Hey, I think I..." Aisha began.
"Finish that sentence and I will seriously freak out," Bloom warned as they plodded down another tunnel. Her shoulders were sagging and vexation was etched into every feature of her face.
"But it does look familiar," the brunette princess muttered.
"Everything down here does!" Bloom exclaimed in annoyance. "We're completely lost, I have no idea where our friends are and creepy monsters might jump us at any moment".
"And drawing a map really didn't help," Sky muttered and looked on the paper in his hands. The tangle of drawn tunnels on it looked distinctly non-euclidean and wouldn't have been out of place as a prop in a cosmic horror story. "But we really can't do anything but keep walking. We should find something at some point".
Bloom's stomach growled loudly and she said: "Dinner would be nice. I would even chow down on a raw roo right about now".
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree," Sky said.
"But how would we find a chef to prepare it?" Aisha questioned. "So far, we haven't seen a single kitchen down here".
Bloom was about to say something, before sighing and continuing her slow, silent march down the seemingly endless tunnels.
...
Brandon had been firmly escorted by a pair of big troglodytes, both of whom looked more than ready to start practising their chiropractic techniques at the first sign of any funny business, into a large, lavishly decorated chamber. Busts and statues of what the squire assumed to be famous people decorated much of the room, with strongly coloured tapestries decorating the walls. The doors behind the squire were roughly closed as Brandon was left alone with the rooms' other occupant.
Amentia was also there, studying one of the busts, before turning to Brandon and saying: "I assume you'd like an explanation?"
"One would certainly be appreciated," the brunette responded, wiping some dust off his shoulder.
"Right. You see, as a royal, I have certain obligations," Amentia stated.
"I think I've heard this story before," Brandon mumbled.
"And you are my loophole out of said obligations," the troglodyte princess finished.
"Right. Could you elaborate, because that's just a bit vague?" Brandon requested.
"As future regent, it is expected that I will marry a strong and powerful troglodyte," Amentia continued. "That's not the problem. The problem is that I'm expected to marry someone that will allow me to mate with other strong troglodytes, so that I can have lots of strong children".
"I think I get it," Brandon said in realisation. "You love Sponsus, but the bond he has with you is monogamous".
"The bond between us," Amentia corrected. "He wouldn't feel like he does if I didn't also. I cannot marry somebody else, I would drive myself insane with longing, but I can't marry Sponsus either, since then I wouldn't be able to mate with other troglodytes. As queen, it will be my duty to ensure the future of our line by giving birth to lots of strong children".
"Alright, I get that," Brandon said. "But then why marry me?"
"Simple. You're an outsider," Amentia explained. "There are no expectations in marrying you, no obligations. That means that I can be with Sponsus, while still not being married to him. There's no laws that says I can't as long as we keep up the pretence of a marriage. This will of course require the occasional public date and sometimes some mating, though I have no clue how compatible we are in that regard, but other than that, everybody wins".
"Except me," Brandon pointed out.
"You get to marry a princess," Amentia retorted dismissively.
"Actually, I am in a relationship with Princess Stella," Brandon said firmly. "And I only went along with this because I hoped I could somehow convince you to let me out of this crazy scheme of yours. I have no intentions of marrying you, because I love Stella and that's final".
"Hmm, how sad," Amentia said uncarin. "I'm afraid you no longer have that option. You have agreed and that agreement is final and binding. So sorry, my husband," she said with a hint of victorious glee. "You're not going anywhere".
...
"I just don't get it," Stella said sadly. She was currently sitting on the shoulders of Abrupto, as the great troglodyte marched out of the city, his sizeable club in hand.
"Who knows," he grunted in response.
"And what about Sponsus?" Stella added. "Poor guy was devastated. He couldn't even speak. I'm tots sure he would be crying his eyes out if he could".
"Crying?" the massive troglodyte asked.
"It's, like, something humans do," Stella explained. "When we're sad, water flows from our eyes".
"Huh," Abrupto grunted. "When water flows from my eyes, it's usually a sign that I've been licking them too much". He punctuated the sentence by wiping one of his eyes with his very long tongue.
"How, like, dare she anyway," Stella continued, sadness slowly being swallowed by annoyance. "I mean, I get that she's tots important, what with being a princess and stuff, but that doesn't mean she can steal my boyfriend without explanation. Oh, if I wasn't this weak, I'd give her a piece of my mind".
"She does have a habit of ruining couples," Abrupto added.
"Oh?" Stella said inquisitively. "I sense a story here".
"Hmm," her lizardly companion growled. "I have a lot of mates. Comes with being orange. But once, I had one mate in particular that I was very close to. Not close like Sponsus, but we were very good friends. Then she and several other troglodytes were sent away by the princess to other colonies because of a draught. Nobody cared about us, because I was orange and could therefore just replace her. I get why somebody had to go, because of the lack of water and food, but they would never have split a blue and his mate up. But nobody cares about how I feel, because I'm orange and can therefore just get another mate, as if I don't care for them at all". The last words were said with intense bitterness.
"Wow. I'm sorry," Stella said empathetically. "Where did they send her? Maybe you could just contact her again".
"I could never get them to tell, mostly because they didn't know," Abrupto responded. "Most likely they went to one of the surface farming colonies like Shacar, or maybe Jarcu. But I don't know. They just picked troglodytes at random, only caring about whether a bonded blue was involved somewhere in the process".
"I'm sorry to hear that," Stella said quietly.
The two of them continued in silence towards the surface.
...
Sky and Bloom looked at Aisha.
"What?" the princess questioned.
"Just wanted to know if you think you recognise this tunnel," Bloom said.
"Well, it does look familiar," Aisha replied, studying the tunnel. "Though it has very rough walls. Signs of shoddy construction".
"Right. Let's get moving," Sky said and yawned. "I think my legs might fall off. We should probably find somewhere to rest":
"What about Brandon and Stella?" Bloom asked concernedly.
"We can't help them if we faint in the middle of everything," the Eraklian prince responded. "It's something we learned at Red Fountain. Rescue teams must take care of themselves, so that they are always able to help others".
"I guess you're right," Bloom said and stared at her feet as they continued down the tunnel. After a moment, she asked: "Sky?"
"Hmm," the blond responded.
"Do you think it was stupid of us to try to save the pixies?" Bloom asked earnestly.
"Ehm... Well... To be honest... Let me think..." Sky responded, suddenly looking very uncertain. "Maybe... I mean... Good intentions and... Important things... Maybe stupid is too strong..."
His complete inability to structure a sentence was interrupted by a reverberating roar. The group looked behind them, where two of Darkar's turtle monsters and two spike creatures were crawling down the tunnel.
"Right, let's get moving," Sky ordered and the group sprinted down the tunnel, monsters in hot pursuit.
The group continued to run, when an almost completely breathless Aisha suddenly called: "The tunnel... Is splitting!"
"Just pick a tunnel!" Sky ordered.
"But there aren't any signs," Aisha responded.
"That would be why you should just pick one," Sky loudly clarified.
The brunette princess shrugged and ran down the middle tunnel, closely followed by her two companions and the monster squad.
They suddenly halted as the cave ended in a wall, causing Sky to mutter: "Aw crap. That's no good". He drew his sword and shield, turning to face the incoming monsters with a: "Seems like we got to do this the hard way".
The two turtle monsters flanked the spiked horrors, as they got ready to perforate the group. Suddenly, an intense beam of light bisected one of the spiked monsters. The other turned, only to be crushed under the powerful blow of a club. The shelled monsters reacted immediately to the new, much more dangerous presence and turned to face it. Sky saw his chance to act and leapt forward, severing one of the monsters' neck with a swing of his blade. The other turned to face him, but its head and neck ceased to be as it disappeared in a violent conflagration, courtesy of Bloom.
Sky adjusted his light and stared at the surprising sight of Stella riding a lizard man.
"Hey, guy n' gals," the Solarian blonde greeted them." Boy, am I tots happy to see you all again".