Brooklyn was now sitting down on a rock, wondering what his next move would be. He tried to make sure that the leaf stayed on over his wound. It wasn't too big, but the throbbing made it seem otherwise.
Sil spent most of the rest of the night tracking him down. He used both sights of the tracks left in the earth and sniffing for his scent. It was getting closer to morning, but he soon came upon the strange creature. Up this close, he didn't look like a Gelfling. His clan had been mistaken on what this creature was.
Brooklyn's ears suddenly picked up at the sound of footsteps. "Who's there?" He asked as he stood up to see who or what stepped out of hiding. He knew he had to be ready for the unexpected, as that had been proved with the Garthim attack. He was in a strange place after all.
Chamberlain knew he had heard him. He stepped out. "Greetings, strange creature. Please, not run off. Am friend." Sil greeted, trying to look as friendly as possible. He knew how to play his cards right. As he also looked at the creature's size, he definitely wasn't Gelfling. Plus, he had a beak and horns on his head too. He tried to make out the colors on him. The creature did look kind of reddish in the dark. He had white silver hair on his head and going down his back, and to him, what looked like a dark cloak covering his shoulders and going down his sides. He also had a long tail.
Brooklyn was suspicious at the moment of any creature in this strange place. "Sneaking up on someone could be very dangerous." The gargoyle told the Skeksis. He still kept his wings caped for the moment. He relaxed his stance just a little, but would be ready for a fight if needed, if this new being threatened him in any way.
"Not mean to frighten you." Chamberlain said.
Brooklyn now noticed the strangest creature he had ever seen standing in front of him. A creature with the head of a vulture, and the body of a lizard and some spikes on his back, kind of like a dragon. "What are you exactly?" he asked curiously.
"I am Skeksis, creature."
"I've never heard of any creature called that. You look more like a vulture to me but lack the wings. Your spikes also remind me of a dragon too." Brooklyn said.
"Vulture? Dragon?" Sil questioned. He didn't know to feel insulted or complimented.
"Vultures are meat-eating birds. Dragons are like big, giant lizards that can fly and breathe fire." Brooklyn stated.
Chamberlain nodded. "I not breathe fire, but point seen." he said, looking him up and down. "You are definitely not Gelfling."
"I don't know what that is either. I'm a gargoyle. Who are you?"
"Name is SkekSil, but title is Lord Chamberlain. Skeksis are Lords of Crystal in this land. Who you be?"
"I am Brooklyn of the Manhattan Clan, but formerly of Clan Wyvern since our castle home was moved." Brooklyn explained. "Just call me Brooklyn."
"Clan? There is more of your kind?" Chamberlain asked.
"Yes, but they are not here. They got left behind when I came here, wherever here is." Brooklyn said. "Where am I anyway?"
The Skeksis was just about flattered that he didn't know where he was. "You are here in this swamp of Endless Forest."
"I know that I'm in a swamp, but I mean, what planet?"
"Thra." SkekSil answered.
"What?! Then that means I could be a long way from Earth. Earth is the name of my planet." Brooklyn explained.
Chamberlain just looked at him questionably. "How you come to be here?" he asked.
"A magic portal got me here. I don't know how, but it did." Brooklyn replied.
Chamberlain was ready to add more about his curiosity as to how he got here, when suddenly, Brooklyn winced and hissed in pain when his wound throbbed painfully. He held his arm.
"What's wrong?"
"My arm. Those giant beetles injured me earlier tonight." Brooklyn held the wound.
"You mean Garthim?" Chamberlain corrected. He saw the gargoyle holding his arm, wincing.
"Whatever they are, they are scary, mean looking things. But how do you know of them?"
"They work for Skeksis. They are soldiers and food gatherers." Sil explained simply.
"You set them on me?" Brooklyn was becoming a little enraged.
"NO! No. Am outcast! Other Skeksis send, thought you were Gelfling." Sil held up his hands as he explained. "But you escape."
"I was lucky I did. With that many, even as tough as I am for a warrior, they still could have torn me to pieces." the gargoyle exclaimed. He now moved the leaf a bit to look at the wound. "It's not bad, but it hurts."
"Come with me to castle. Can heal wound." Chamberlain suggested. "Crystal very powerful, maybe send you home."
"How? Are you a doctor?"
"No, but one Skeksis, SkekTek, heals wounds. And know how Crystal works."
"I may not need that kind of help, SkekSil. Thanks for the offer though. How far off is sunrise? And the offer to send me home is appreciated."
"Sunrise?" The Skeksis looked at the sky. It had been all night. "It not long now, but wound needs treating."
"Sunrise will help just fine." Brooklyn said. "And your Crystal getting me home sounds like a good idea, if those scary uh, Garthim, you called them, don't attack me again."
"They won't. I make them obey." Chamberlain said. "Please come to castle. Find way to get Brooklyn home."
"The one you spoke of before. What's his title?" Brooklyn asked.
"Scientist."
"No! No scientists! There's already enough of those back home that try to get at me and my clan!" Brooklyn screeched.
"Probably not same kind of scientists. But sunrise not long now. Why it so important?"
"The closer it is, the sooner I'll go to sleep, and it'll heal itself while I sleep. When I wake up, it'll be no more." Brooklyn stated.
"How? Wounds not heal and be gone while just sleeping." Chamberlain inquired.
"Well, Chamberlain," he chuckled, "Gargoyles, my kind turn to stone during the day. If we get injuries during the night, stone sleep will take care of it during the day."
"And you not wake up?"
"Not until sunset the following evening. Until the sun sets."
"Thra has three suns." Chamberlain declared.
"That's interesting. Ours only has one. But here, until your last sun sets, I'm sure I'll be stone in daylight." Brooklyn explained his way of sleep.
In all his life, Sil had never heard of this happening with any creature alive.
The first sun would be rising in a little bit, so he decided to learn more. "How many in your clan?" he asked curiously. Knowledge was power.
"Myself included, just us gargoyles, seven. We also have other friends that we include as part of it too. Human friends." Brooklyn said. "You?"
"Small number. Eight Skeksis back home. I am nine. Others all dead or banished long ago." Sil explained. "Skeksis only keep to selves. Other beings, Gelflings, betray us. Used to work as functioning system, but one day, fail us all. Are there many gargoyle clans?"
"There are only seven in my clan, but there are some gargoyle clans in other parts of our world too. Humans have mainly tried to wipe us out entirely because they fear us too much." Brooklyn said. "Even our own clan used to have high numbers way more than a thousand years ago, but it was massacred during the day. Only the thirty-six eggs of the clan and seven of our original clan lived. Three were later revived as well, but don't live with us. And another survivor of my clan lives who knows where. She's not one of us anymore."
The Skeksis listened intently. "And you say of human friends? This fear, was it because of prophecy?"
"No. Just fear and ignorance. There are some humans that are better than others." Brooklyn replied. He looked up and saw the sky was turning pinkish. "I see that the sky is getting lighter now."
"Yes." Chamberlain stated. "Been up all night. Usually not do that, but first night out of castle in long time for Chamberlain. Being banished and all."
"Sorry to hear that. You better stand back and just let me take my pose." Brooklyn advised.
In what dim light there was, Sil could see that his skin color was definitely red, plus the white hair and a black cloak, or so he thought. The same colors as his robes at home. He also saw that he wore a loincloth around his waist too. Brooklyn was definitely no Gelfling. His size was more around his own rather than the short size of a Gelfling.
Brooklyn looked at the sky. "The sun should start rising here in a second." he said. He saw the smallest light just below the horizon.
Sil had thought that the gargoyle had two arms. Then, he saw the wing hands clasping over Brooklyn's shoulders at what he first thought was a cloak. Brooklyn then unwrapped them, making the wings fully appear. Sil was amazed at how they looked. In a way, the gargoyle did have four arms, but only two fully functional ones. Sil had four himself, only the two in the back were atrophied.
"Look Chamberlain, you'd better find a place to sleep because it'll be after sunset before I wake up." Brooklyn said.
"I follow you all night. I sleep only after see what happens with you." Chamberlain declared.
"Alright." The gargoyle looked up again. The first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. In a hurry, Brooklyn spread his wings and hands, then growled as the sunlight made him turn to stone. Even here, he turned to stone in daylight.
The Chamberlain had thought that he was growling at him, and backed off a bit, but stood his ground, then he saw Brooklyn did that when he turned to stone. Because that was what happened. He now walked up to the stone statue. "Hello?" he asked as he put a hand on it. Brooklyn was stone solid alright.
What was he going to do while waiting? Then, Sil let out a yawn and realized how tired he was from all the walking he had done overnight catching up to Brooklyn. Skeksis were usually day active, but could be at night too, when they felt they needed to be.
Sleep was his first priority. He had been up all night. He walked over to under a tree where the suns' rays wouldn't bother him much. He was still a decent distance from Brooklyn. He got comfortable on the ground. He stared at him until he drifted off to sleep. Sleep that he needed.