Chapter Seven
The first mornings light fell across Beast Boy's face in an array of pinks and yellows. The slender young man yawned widely, pressing his face against his pillow. When he lifted his head, with his unruly hair, he was surprised to see he was the first one up. That never happened. There was nothing to gloat about, however, when his eyes fell on the empty bed where Robin should have been. As Beast Boy fell asleep the night before, he had had hope that maybe Robin would slink in during the dead of night. The green boy wanted to believe Robin had just gotten caught up doing other things. In that moment, however, as Beast Boy's legs dangled off the side of his bed, an uneasy feeling had developed in the pit of his stomach. No contact from Robin in over twelve hours? He was beginning to think it was time to panic. Cyborg and Raven also roused from their sleep and they shared quiet solemn faces. They got ready for the day, prepared to meet Forneah and progress their research. Beast Boy sighed as they waited for the final minutes before curfew would be lifted for another day. He reached into his belt, pulling his communicator free.
"Robin, it's Beast Boy, come in," He said. Raven and Cyborg only watched him quietly with unmoving faces. Beast Boy waited a few beats, each one feeling like it lasted longer and longer. He pursed his lips, clicking the button again. "Robin, come in. Are you okay? Where are you, dude?" Still, only silence answered him. Beast Boy sighed, looking over his shoulder at the pile of studies Raven had cluttered on the table. He spied Starfire's communicator. "We can't even get in touch with Starfire. I'm worried, guys."
"We all are, Beast Boy," Raven nodded, watching as the first morning trickling of Tamaraneans began to fill the streets. "We'll look for him after we meet with the resistance group, I promise."
"Cyborg, where was Robin's communicator last activated?" Beast Boy asked, holding his own to his chest. The tall man swiped through a few screens, tilting his lips.
"Hard to really say," Cyborg said, zooming in on Robin's blinking red dot. "My systems still are out of whack trying to coordinate in Tamaran. But it says he was in the castle, at least."
"Robin!" Beast Boy called through his communicator again. "Robin, man, pick up!"
"Beast Boy, stop," Raven came towards him, pressing her hand over and closing his communicator. "If Robin's in trouble, someone else probably has his communicator. You won't get through to him."
"What are we going to do?" Beast Boy lowered his eyes. "Starfire becomes the Queen tomorrow. Do you think Yalfore is behind this?"
"We don't know, BB," Cyborg told him. "Come on, we gotta go. Forneah is waiting for us. We'll hopefully know a little bit more after this. We'll help Robin. But he also knows how to help himself." Beast Boy's face was hard as he tucked his communicator back into his pocket. Raven and Cyborg moved for the door, but paused when they saw Beast Boy had stayed still. His eyes were on the table. After a moment of hesitation, he reached for Starfire's relinquished communicator. "What are you doing?" Cyborg arched his eyebrows as Beast Boy pulled the window open.
"I'm taking Starfire her communicator," Beast Boy told them, kneeling on the sill. "You guys meet with Forneah. I'll meet you here later." Raven stepped forward to shout but he leapt from the window, morphing into an eagle. He spread his fluffy and long wings outward, taking a sharp flight into the sky and tilting towards the castle. Raven sighed, her cloak encasing her slender body.
"I hope Starfire doesn't stay here," Raven said, sliding the window shut. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder at Cyborg. "Because I don't ever want to come here again."
...
Beast Boy spied Starfire's spacious balcony with the open doors within a moment of flying over their accommodations. He hoped she was there. Beast Boy had an awful feeling plaguing him. It was like primal instinct, he had to act on it. Whatever was going on, Starfire needed to know. This wasn't some cultural miscommunication. There was something bad stewing. And someone, anyone, on the Teen Titans could be next. Yalfore could be picking them off one by one. And he knew Robin was an integral player. Beast Boy nestled against the edge of the railing before returning to his normal form. He was stealthy as his wiry legs carried him forward and he peaked into the room. Starfire was at her vanity, brushing her hair. A purple silk robe drenched her.
"Star!" Beast Boy emerged into the room. Starfire gasped, turning in her velvet stool.
"Beast Boy!" Starfire surged forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I am so happy to see you. But you know it is not a good idea to come here secretly."
"Starfire," Beast Boy gripped her arms nervously. "Something has happened to Robin. We... we haven't seen him since yesterday. The last we saw him, he said he was coming back here, to the castle. Have you seen him? Is he alright?"
"Robin is... missing?" Starfire said, almost hollowly. The headache was rolling on again. "I... I must check the prison at once." Starfire felt woozy, however.
"Hey, are you alright?" Beast Boy steadied her.
"Yes," Starfire gingerly touched her temple. "There is... just much to do in anticipation of becoming the Grand Ruler."
"Where's the prison, Starfire?" Beast Boy furrowed his brow. "I'll get down there. Just tell me where to go."
Starfire lowered herself back into the stool. "You should not go, Beast Boy." She insisted. "It would be treason."
"What's going on?" Beast Boy knelt in front of her. "Starfire, you don't look good. What's happening to you?"
"I suppose I am just anxious and uncertain..." Starfire placed her hands to her knees. "I am okay, do not worry, friend. I am worried, however, about Robin's disappearance."
"Star, I think Yalfore's behind this."
"You do not know-"
"Please, Star," Beast Boy gripped her wrists tightly, his eyes exuding a fear she hadn't quite seen from him before. "You have to listen to us. We've been to tons of alien planets together. We're no strangers to miscommunication or cultural differences. But something here, Starfire... something is wrong. You have to see it, too! This isn't the same planet you grew up on."
"Of course it's not," Starfire shook her head, gazing down on her teammate who had, in a way, become her own family. "Tamaran used to be full of flora and fauna. It used to be colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. But our planet is war torn, Beast Boy. And my people have to continue to live within it. I must do what is best as Queen and help restore the Tamaran we once knew."
"But how do you know you can do that?" Beast Boy tightened his grasp around her slender hands. "How do you know you're not some pawn in this whole thing?"
Starfire's green eyes gleamed in the morning light and she brought her hand up to gently brush his cheeks. "Beast Boy, I am afraid you do not understand. And I... do not know how to make you understand. The Tamaranean people are hospitable and vibrant. But they are also frightened people as well. I assure you I will look into Robin's whereabouts. Yalfore is passionate for our people and I have no doubts that perhaps he is just educating Robin on the ways of our planet."
"Star..." Beast Boy's voice was so deflated as again he felt her fingers against his cheek. "You gotta believe me."
Starfire's head pulsated. "I ask you to do the same of me. I fear you are in culture-shock and acting too rashly. It's only been three days, Beast Boy. And a lot has changed here."
Beast Boy's eyes darted across her familiar face. Starfire held her lips steady, her eyes peering back at him widely. All the bells and whistles and sirens were bouncing around Beast Boy's head. It had only been three days, but everything seemed to be upside down. Beast Boy knelt before Starfire, the entire frame of his body shaking. They couldn't let her take the throne. They couldn't allow her to be part of whatever ploy they were hoping to accomplish. But they needed cold, hard proof. Beast Boy desperately needed a smoking gun. Starfire's elusive behavior was proof enough for the green boy. But who would believe him? Beast Boy pursed his lips. After another moment of hesitation, Beast Boy stood.
"I'm coming back tonight," Beast Boy told her. "I hope you'll have more information by then."
"Beast Boy, no," Starfire stood as well. "It is disruptive to your welcome."
"I care more about Robin than I do about some homely welcome, Starfire," Beast Boy paced towards the balcony that was now covered in golds as the sky lightened. "And you should, too. You take the throne tomorrow. Don't you want to know that Robin will be there?"
Starfire clasped her hands together, ignoring the cluster of tension she felt in her forehead. Slowly, she licked her lips and nodded. "Alright, Beast Boy."
"When I see the first moon, I'll be here," Beast Boy was tense as he turned. He paused for a moment, however, and returned to Starfire, grabbing her hand. "Here. You need this." He pressed the communicator into her hand and within a moment, rushed towards the balcony. He leapt from the balustrade and allowed the air to brush around him before his long wings spread again and he sailed over the town of foreboding feelings. Starfire walked into the long archway of the balcony, watching her friend go. The Titan communicator seared into her palm and she gripped it tightly. Her body was quaking. Her stomach was tossing. She turned towards her wardrobe, pulling a green velvet dress from the rack, trying to hurry, as if to outrun the awful feeling creeping over her.
...
When Robin opened his eyes, a blinding pool of light surrounded him. Dry and cracked blood painted his forehead, which throbbed tremendously. Robin ground his teeth together and moaned as he lifted his groggy eyes. It almost seemed like deja vu. Every time he visited Tamaran, he seemed to always get thrown in jail. As his vision focused, however, he realized he wasn't alone. Robin's aching neck tilted, looking up to find Yalfore in his long black robe, his hands poised behind his back. Robin's nostrils flared as he came to his knees, glaring at the adviser with his sore looking face. Yalfore was smiling with his rigid and sharp features.
"My, you are quite the heavy sleeper. You didn't even rouse when we dragged you down the stairs."
Robin only stared at him intensely with a face of stone.
"You know what is funny about you humans?" Yalfore began to pace. Robin reached towards his waist but cursed under his breath once he realized his belt was missing. He remained crouched on the floor, his hands curling into fists, as he watched the nerve wracking steps of the man. "Your species just never seems to learn. You know, doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results, is what you humans call insanity." Yalfore paused, turning towards Robin. "I do not know how I could have been more clear. I gave you the rules upfront and outright. And still, you and your little friends don't want to listen."
"Yeah, well, it's hard to listen to rules when you know they're wrong," Robin scoffed, wiping some dried blood from his lips. "Even when Blackfire was Grand Ruler, the terms and conditions of this planet weren't so harsh and cruel. I know a tyrant when I see one."
Yalfore didn't even wait a beat before he brought his leg out deftly and swiftly. It caught Robin off guard. Yalfore's leg collided with his ribcage, sending the young leader rolling. Robin let out a wheezy cough. "What you and your friends see is a civilization striving to become whole again. I will not allow my people to venture further backwards and be unproductive. And I'm not about to let some ignorant guests from Earth tell us what's wrong and what's right with our community. Not when there are cracks in the very foundation of your people's origin, too."
Robin took a deep, winded breath, pressing his palms against the ground. He lifted his head, glaring daggers at Yalfore. "It only took me seventy-two hours to figure out you're doing it all wrong. Your people are scared, Yalfore. You rule by fear. Starfire would never-" Yalfore brought his leg up, squarely nailing Robin in the jaw. Robin fell against the edge of the light that acted as a wall of power around him. He spat blood on the ground beside him, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"You will not speak her name in English, you disrespectful brat," Yalfore sneered. He knelt down, grabbing Robin by his collar. The Titan refused to give into the pain. He refused to give Yalfore the satisfaction of thinking he had the upper hand. "Whatever relationship you had with Princess Koriand'r on Earth, you can forget about here. I will not allow some human to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong. Not when you can't even comprehend what our people have been through and you're ignorant to our history."
Robin's jaw was throbbing horrendously and he ran his tongue along his teeth to make sure they were all still there. "Whatever you're trying to do, Yalfore, you won't get away with. We might not be Tamaraneans, but we care for Starfire, and it goes against every fiber of our teams being to sit back and let an entire planet be bullied into submission by a backstabbing, egotistical, purist." Yalfore reared his fist backwards, but Robin grabbed hold of his wrist before it could connect with his cheek. Their arms shook between each other with an intense force. "We're not going to sit idly by and let you trick our friend. Your lies are fishy and I smelled them the moment I landed here." Yalfore let out a yell as he released Robin's collar, bringing his other fist across his face. Robin fell onto his elbows, watching as blood dribbled from his lips. All he could smell and taste was copper. He blinked rapidly to keep his head from spinning. "You think you have it all under control..." Robin rasped, as again his eyes fell on Yalfore, who was burning with anger. "But you don't, Yalfore. You know something about Blackfire... about Wildfire... you know all the secrets of this kingdom and you're using those secrets to control the citizens. To control, Starfire."
Yalfore stood and his hand illuminated with a purple bolt, holding it directly before Robin's face. It was different from what Robin was used to from Starfire or Blackfire. It was like lightening cycling around his hand. Robin understood in that moment that Yalfore was powerful. And yet, the young man still did not fear him. Robin stared directly into the electric bolts that spawned from Yalfore's fingers, his face unmoving besides the dribbling blood. He could feel the pulsating of his cheeks and jaw as they no doubt swelled. Robin felt like hell as his arm crumpled across his hurting torso.
"You want to end it all right here..." Robin's voice somewhat faltered as he sat himself up straighter. "Because I'm right. Because you know I'm onto your little charade. And you know I won't let you hurt Starfire in any form or fashion, physically or mentally." The light engulfing Yalfore's hand intensified and the adviser ground his teeth together. "Even if you take me out of the equation, you can't stop my team. They'd do anything for Starfire."
"Stop saying her English name!" Yalfore barked as the bolts shot from his finger tips. Robin managed to roll and a dense smoke filled the brightly illuminated cell. Robin took his opportunity and rose from the fog. With all his might, he brought his own fist across Yalfore's face. The adviser staggered, but he regained his position, his eyes glowing a bright purple, nearly iridescent. Robin planted his feet, bringing his fists up squarely. Yalfore surprisingly grinned with his glowing eyes and hands. Without missing a beat, the two fell into a side step, circling each other in the radiant light. "You dare believe you have a chance against someone like me? You are quite ambitious, I'll give you that. But you still fail to see where you're wrong. This is a matter of security, Robin. You'd feel the same way if I were coming to your planet trying to send disorder upon your sacred rituals."
Robin's face tightened and he instinctively brought his hands closer to his jaw. "What is this sacred ritual?" Robin sneered. "Why do the nobles speak in English but the working class refuses to even look at us? What do you want with Starfire?"
"You just don't get it," Yalfore clucked his tongue, admiring the electricity sparking from his decrepit fingers. "And that's what makes you dangerous. I do not care about your status on your home planet. All you've proved to be is a threat to national security. An anarchist trying to disrupt our ancient rule. Princess Koriand'r belongs here. She never belonged with you and your insolent friends."
"That's where you're wrong, Yalfore," Robin's voice was rock hard. "I won't let you betray Starfire. I won't let you take her away from us."
"You've already lost that battle," Yalfore hissed, holding his arms out at his side. "And you're losing the war, Robin. You're too petulant to realize you don't understand a thing at all."
Robin's ears pricked and his entire body tensed. He ground his teeth together and his shoes squeaked against the floor as, in a fluid fashion, Robin diverted to his right. He kept to the balls of his feet, holding his fists steady beside his jaw. The guards pikes sparked against the floor as they narrowly missed him. Yalfore smiled from behind his flashes of bolts. The guards only watched him for their next signal. Robin's heart beat steady in his chest as he hoped to a send a thousand daggers from his eyes towards Yalfore.
"Your motor skills are truly superb for a human," Yalfore told him. "But they're not good enough, Robin." Again, the guards began to corner in on the young man. Robin watched them tentatively, holding his arms out in show of being unafraid. However, Yalfore's energy exerted from his hand and Robin was thrown against the edge of the cell of light. He writhed and ground his teeth together as bolts of electricity licked up and down his body. His vision grew bleary as Yalfore approached him, kneeling down just at the end of Robin's tense legs. "You humans are so arrogant. Thinking a small little shrimp such as yourself could handle three true warriors... it's a shame, Robin. You've made my job so much more difficult as an adviser. I have to somehow undo all the barbaric training Koriand'r has learned on your forsaken planet so she can return to her true roots."
Robin's shaky hand ran along his waist and he sighed as he again realized his utility belt, with its built in panic button, was gone. Robin tilted his head back as his vision began to cave on him. "You won't win," Robin rasped, falling to his elbows and letting out a ragged breath. "You're nothing but a broken record to me. You know how many idiots I've seen that think they can take over an entire planet? It never works out. But you're too stupid to realize it."
Yalfore's face became stone hard and he stood, looking over the crumpling boy who fought against his own body to stay conscious. Yalfore felt not a single drop of mercy in his body as he lifted his hand, sending another chaotic bolt of electricity over Robin. He fell limp to the ground with blood trailing from his hairline and cracked lips. Yalfore turned to his men who only stared back in their empty manner. The adviser then folded his hands behind his back and casually saw himself out from the cell. He barely glanced over his shoulders at the fallen hero as he began up the steep stairs from the dank and forgotten prison. Yalfore's features were furrowed deeply and he pressed his lips together tightly as the guards at the top saluted and opened the door for his departure. It was growing close to time for the Queen's early lunch. She would then be whisked away for the final fitting of her dress. Just one day left until the new moon would be in the night sky. With order restored, Yalfore could focus on other things on his agenda. He was a calculated man, a meticulous one at that, who always had his affairs in order. He was exasperated to changes, riffs, and tiffs in his plans. He had met his match.
His exasperation only became more evident as he rounded the corner, running nearly directly into Starfire. She walked with a concerned face and hands curled into fists. She was equally surprised to see Yalfore. "Princess Koriand'r," Yalfore remarked, straightening his shoulders. "What are you doing down here? The noble lunch will be starting shortly on the high balcony."
"Yalfore, I am concerned," Starfire told him. "Robin, where is he?"
Yalfore furrowed his brow. "I can assure you, Your Majesty, your friends are safe here in Tamaran and I'm sure just as anxious as you are for the crowning tomorrow evening. Why would you be concerned for Robin's well-being?"
Starfire was quiet as the ache in her head slowly began to fall back in. She hadn't expected to run into Yalfore. But she couldn't possibly tell him that Beast Boy had gotten into her chambers. She pressed her hands to her back, making sure her communicator was snugly concealed in her girdle. She opted for a simple shrug and offered a smile. "I suppose you're right, Yalfore. It is hard coming to terms with becoming the leader. I only hope I can do as well as my parents."
"I trust your instincts, Princess Koriand'r," Yalfore bowed his head politely and grinned. "Let me escort you back to your chambers. I will send for your digestive drink treatment shortly."
Starfire's thin frame was tense as she walked side by side with Yalfore. Curiously, she peaked over her shoulder at the guards blocking the doors to the lower chambers of the castle.
Robin, are you down there?
...
Raven and Cyborg descended the stairs to the river quarter. It was quaint with blossoming flowers as Tamaran put great effort into restoring the flora and fauna of their war-torn planet. Vendors for the day were busy arranging their booths. Other Tamaraneans, with their bright crimson hair and purple outfits, were beginning to populate the street as they went about their days. The Titans cautiously gazed about. The food vendor was busy frying an interesting tentacle of bizarre, unsettling colors. A few children giggled and jumped across the canal as they practiced their joys of flight. Raven watched them fleetingly before her onyx eyes turned on Cyborg.
"What does this Forneah look like?" She asked.
Cyborg could only offer a shrug. "Red hair, green eyes. A purple dress..."
Raven pursed her lips and her soft shoes scuffed to the cobblestone as she approached the canal. She watched the water run by, her purple hair grazing the frame of her face. "Do you get the feeling we're being set up?" Raven looked over her shoulder at Cyborg, whose eyes had lifted to the sky of golds and pinks. He looked to Raven in that moment and they held a silent eye contact. Raven shook her head, her slender body falling beneath her rounding cloak. "Can we really trust anybody, Cyborg? How do we know they don't work for Yalfore?"
Cyborg came to join Raven on the edge of the stonewall for the flowing canal. "I don't know, honestly," He shook his head. "But I'm willing to try anything. It's unlike Robin to not come back to report in. I can only assume something bad happened to him. I don't know if this is a good idea or a bad, but we have each others backs, that's all I know." His chocolate brown eyes met hers and Raven nodded in mutual acceptance
"It's hard to imagine they got to Robin first," Raven said, tilting her head back to look at the sky. It was quite beautiful in its morning glory. The clustering stars of the galaxy could still be faintly seen. "But at the same time..." Raven furrowed her brow and shook her head. "No... Robin wouldn't keep any details from us."
Cyborg pressed his hand to her shoulder. "We'll find him."
"Spiky haired boy?" The two Titans perked up and looked over their shoulder to find a somewhat timid, almost frightened woman, with a basket of flora standing behind them. Her crimson red hair was thick and piled into a mountain above her head, licking down her slender shoulders where she wore a form fitting purple jumper. "Where is the green one?" She asked quietly, being sure to check her surroundings.
"This is Raven, she's part of our team, too," Cyborg said. "She actually has some things-"
"Not a word more," Forneah whispered. "Follow me... at a distance."
She was stiff as her heels clacked to the cobblestone. Raven and Cyborg bobbed quite a feet back. Raven ran her hand along the satchel she kept concealed beneath her cloak. She watched Forneah intently with her onyx eyes, refraining from sending any power from her mind. She had to play things straight for everyone's safety, she reasoned. If Robin truly was in danger, Raven figured she'd be doing him a favor to not dig him further. Still, she glanced tentatively at Cyborg. They shared the same look: be prepared. Trust no one. The canal descended another level, into an area full of shadows. Many of the people hanging about wore hoods and kept their hands in their pockets. The duo's eyes darted everywhere before Forneah paused at a door painted a moody purple. She glanced around hesitantly before pushing a key into the door. Hurriedly, she hustled Cyborg and Raven in to a spacious apartment with a poor view of the city's underbelly.
Forneah was quick in setting the basket down, brushing past the reeling Titans into the living space. The furniture was large and sported unique angles and sizes. It was a far cry from the aesthetically appeasing crescent couch they occupied frequently at the Tower. Her hair shook on her head as she looked left and right before clapping three times, pausing, and twice more. Cyborg and Raven shared a side-eye. After a moment, four more Tamaraneans revealed themselves from backrooms. They seemed very timid and afraid. They emerged slowly, hugging themselves and walking with their shoulders out. Forneah nodded to all of them before speaking in their mother tongue. The others spoke quickly, however, gesturing to the Teen Titans and pressing their hands to their chest. But Forneah responded eloquently, it seemed, in her fluid motions to both explain and calm them.
"They can help us," Forneah finally said, holding her arms at her side. "They can't even speak Tamaranean - they want to help us. Not out of pity!"
One man with glossy black hair pursed his lips tightly. "If we want this channel of information to stay open, we can't take risks such as this, Forneah!"
Another slender woman with wide green eyes shook her head. "Nothing is ever free, Forneah. People always want things for exchange."
Raven stepped forward now, drawing her cloak over her shoulders. "The Tamaranean government most likely has one of our friends in prison under falsity." They all stopped and looked at her as if they'd never seen another species before. "Yes, we want our friend back, but we also to help Tamaran. Our friend, Starfire-"
They all gasped in unison and the young sorceress pressed her lips together, glancing towards Cyborg.
A woman rushed towards her, draped in ill-fitted garments. She wrung her hands together. "You must never speak their English names. Us speaking in this manner is already enough to have us all tried for treason."
"That's why we're here," Cyborg came forward, but the small woman staggered back in shock. Cyborg immediately stopped, holding his hands up gently. "Look, we just want to help. Something bad is happening here. Me and Raven, we've been here before. And it's not what it used to be. You all have lived here. Tell us what you've seen, what you've experienced. Did Galfore have anything to do with this?" The room fell silent and the rattled hiders looked to Forneah, who only gave them a curt nod.
"I... do not think I can give you trust yet," The woman hugged herself and paced away.
Forneah clucked her tongue, sending a view words in Tamaranean towards her. The woman did not reply. "Forgive us. We are only concerned for our safety and our furthered well-being."
"That's what we want, too," Cyborg told them. "For our friend... your future queen."
"What do you know about Yalfore?" Raven asked, rotating her satchel forward on her waist. "His war service? His advisory? Are you familiar with him?"
"I said I do not trust you!" The woman screamed in that moment. Raven's face was unmoving as she looked to her with her inky purple bangs framing her face.
"Calante!" Forneah cried out. "They want to help us. I have been trying to help, but they... they can do something."
"Oh and who says that?"
"We are the Teen Titans," Cyborg said, holding his arms out at his side. "On earth, we protect an entire city. Sometimes an entire nation. It's what we do."
"Please," Raven pulled a book from her satchel. "Your future queen is in danger. Our friend is in danger. Anything you know is valuable." Raven was patient as she went to the circular dining table. She hung her satchel on the chair and seated herself, aligning a few of the books and her notes on the table. "We can just talk about it. Nobody's in danger here." The rattled woman's emerald eyes gleamed and she sniffled, glancing to the others around her. After a moment, they felt themselves beckoned towards the table. Cyborg squeezed in beside Raven as the terrified Tamaraneans seated themselves as if they were on trial for death row. "Let's start with when Blackfire was denounced and Galfore was crowned-"
"No," Calante glared intensely. Forneah gave her an exasperated look. "First, you must disclose who you are. Where you're from. What are your interests in our government's affairs?"
"Calante," Another woman with crimson red hair in need of a wash sighed. "Please, let us move forward."
"We are diluting the pot," Calante insisted. "They could be working for Yalfore for all we know."
"Actually, we were worried you guys worked for Yalfore," Cyborg said, holding his hands up dismissively. "We've been here for three days and what we've experienced... well, it's happened on earth and there were two whole world wars about it..."
Raven gripped the edge of a book. "And our friend is missing. Most likely by Yalfore's doing. We can help each other."
Calante stared at them intently for a moment before she leaned forward, hugging her robe against her wiry body. "You know Princess Koriand'r?"
"Know her?" Cyborg grinned. "We've lived with her for the past three and a half years on Earth! She's like our best friend."
The table looked amongst each other for a moment. Raven pushed the book forward. "I found some history of Tamaranean but I can't read it. I would like to understand more. But we're interested in Yalfore. What can you tell me about Galfore?"
The man with the inky hair sighed, pressing his back against the chair. "Galfore was wonderful. I suppose everything the predecessor wasn't. We lived quietly and wholesomely."
"So, where did it all go wrong?" Cyborg sat forward on his elbows.
Everyone seemed hesitant to speak.
"Anything you tell us here will not be linked back to you," Raven told them. "And that's a guarantee."
On the end, a fragile looking girl with bright red hair finally lifted her slender chin. She spoke with a heavy accent. "Yalfore has not made the right decision since the Gordanian War..." She pressed her lips together and blinked rapidly to ward tears off. "The last time I spoke that sentence, I was taken to the prison in the castle. They... did not feed me for days. They made me pledge my allegiance to the Tamaranean blood... the soil..."
"Did Galfore know about this?" Raven asked.
Forneah cleared her throat, pressing her fingers to the knitted table runner. "Galfore grew very ill in the last five months of his reign."
"Ill?" Cyborg echoed. "Ill in what way?"
"He did not act as himself at speeches," Forneah replied, now picking at the knitted fabric. "He seemed like he was in pain. A headache, perhaps a stomachache. Something always seemed to pester him, though he was not very old."
"Poison..." Raven said quietly and slowly.
"Do you think Yalfore's doing the same to Star?" Cyborg looked to her.
"Galfore told us we should be frightened," Calante said, her lips drawn tightly. Her eyes still remained very stony and passive to the Titans. "Galfore said he was made aware that our planet is under threat. That the Tamaraneans are a dying species - that everyone wants us dead. That's why we speak in our native tongue. And we abide by safety restrictions to avoid night time attacks."
"And we, collectively, agree that Yalfore had something to do with that," The dark haired man sat up. "But we have no hard proof. And... prison is brutal here."
"We think our friend is in the prison," Raven told them. "Do you know a way in?"
"They drug you before you're taken in," The girl with the heavy accent said. "Who knows if it's an interior entrance or an exterior..."
"We'll find all the proof we can," Raven said.
"And just how do you intend to do that?" Calante sneered. "You don't know anything about our people."
"Look at her," Forneah shook her head. "She's powerful, Calante. They both are. They exceed talents in ways we do not."
Calante ran her tongue along the front of her teeth, looking to Raven's rather passive face. "Were your people discriminated against, too? By an entire galaxy."
Raven only shook her head slowly. "I have no world to go back to."