The trio kept flying for about another hour, each member feeling weary and tired as the rain continued to pour down on them. Though they were nothing short of exhausted, Kree still pressed on, knowing the two on his back were counting on him to get them all to safety. As he continued, he started to make out the outline of a massive palace.
"Found it." Kree thought, relieved. " We are approaching the Krazoa Palace. Give me a moment, and I will find us some shelter from the storm." He said rather loudly, over the rainfall.
"Good. Please hurry; the Princess can't take much more of this." Krystal responded, noting how the young Cloudrunner held was still shivering, despite Krystal's best attempts to warm her and shield her from the rain.
Scanning the palace, Krystal noted a small opening in the architecture, one that would give the trio more than enough relief from the rain. Pointing it out to Kree, they changed course for the opening.
Settling down, Krystal slowly got off Kree while keeping the Princess close to her chest. Kree shook his wings, trying to get off access water from them. Shortly after this, he grabbed some wooden debris from nearby, likely once part of storage crates, and tossed them into a pile before igniting it with his flame breath. He began to warm himself near the fire as Krystal brought Kyte over and followed suit. Finishing, he then turned to the vixen, concerned for his young niece she held.
"Kyte, how are you holding up?" He asked.
The Princess looked up at her uncle for a moment, seemingly wondering how to answer, before she weakly replied: "N-not well."
Kree frowned before surveying Kyte to see if the Sharpclaw had physically harmed her. To his relief, he noted she had no bruises or injuries, but Kyte still looked to be feeling fatigued. Realizing she must need some food and rest, he began to dig in a pouch he brought with him before pulling out some kind of fruit.
"Eat up, Kyte. You look like you could use it. You should too, Krystal." The larger Cloudrunner said, offering each a fruit.
Krystal nodded and released the young Cloudrunner, who began devouring the fruit as fast as she could. Krystal, too had a bite, noting the fruit's sweet taste. "Not bad," She said between a mouthful.
"It's called a Dumbledang pod. A commodity, but each of the queen's children loves them." Kree said, gesturing to Kyte, who had devoured the pod by now. "Though, I doubt that Scales gave poor Kyte much food while she was abroad the galleon," Kree noted, with a hint of anger in his voice.
His attention then turned back towards the Princess, who had finished eating and then stared at her uncle. With a sudden burst of energy, she bolted and wrapped her wings around him. The larger Cloudrunner returned the gesture.
"Thank you for saving me, Uncle Kree. I knew mother, and you would find me." Kyte said tearfully.
"We would have fought through Scales' whole army if it meant we could save you," Kree responded. "But let's not forget our blue friend here. Without her, it would not have been possible."
"T-thank you so much," Kyte said, addressing the vixen, her voice still a bit frail.
"It's no problem. I am always happy to help those in need." Krystal replied before inquiring about the princess' well-being. "But princess, how are you holding up?" She asked, sensing much fatigue in the young Cloudrunner."
"Honestly, tired and cold. The Sharpclaw left me in that small cage for days." Kyte explained, still uncomfortable thinking about what she had gone through.
"It is alright. You do not need to recount your experience." The vixen replied, sensing many dreadful emotions from the child.
Kyte sprang another question: "S-so, what b-brings you to this planet?" The Princess asked the vixen.
Krystal then thought for a moment, thinking how to explain, "Chasing a distress call. It is hard to explain. " She replied.
Krystal then began to ponder her situation, trying to decide her next course of action. She knew she still had to find the sender of the distress call but hoped the Cloudrunner would at least stick around for a bit. She was not sure how to leave this place anyway.
Standing up, she addressed Kree, who was keeping his wings wrapped around the Princess while they both warmed themselves around the fire. "Kree, I still need to locate the one who sent the distress call from here, but I believe I will need your help after I am finished. I have no means of leaving here on my own. Can you and the Princess wait for me here?" She asked.
"Of course. Anything after what you did for us today. I will remain here and make sure the Princess is alright. I am still not entirely sure about her health right now, so I wouldn't want to risk flying back out into the storm with her anyways." The guard captain stated before turning his head to his niece. "Kyte, I think some rest would do you good. You look exhausted."
As if in response, Kyte yawned and muttered: "Agreed," before drifting off to sleep in her uncle's wings.
"How adorable." Krystal thought, smiling down at the two Cloudrunners. She then cast a glance around the surrounding area, finding that there seemed to be some strange floating, squid-looking beings floating around.
"I'm sorry, why are there a bunch of squids flying around here?" Krystal asked, baffled at what she was seeing and wondering how she failed to notice them sooner.
"What's a squid?" Kree asked before he refocused on the question. "If you mean those creatures, those are just guardians of the palace. We believe that the Krazoa created them as sentinels. They won't attack you unless they are provoked." Kree had explained.
"I'll keep that in mind," Krystal replied, still unnerved at how strange these beings were.
"In any case, keep the Princess safe, and I will meet you back here. I am not sure how long it will take me, though."
"Take your time, the princess will be out for a while, and the storm will be raging for a good bit of time too, I think," Kree stated. ' Good luck."
"Thanks."
And with that, the vixen left the Cloudrunners and walked further into the nearby courtyard, passing a few more of those squid-creatures. The only thing that seemed to be of note out here was a giant statue depicting a Krazoa. Staring at it briefly, she then turned her gaze towards the palace walls.
Scanning the palace walls, she eventually found a large hole in the side of one, as if someone had blown through it.
"Someone must have been here." Krystal realized. And whoever it was, she doubted it was anyone good.
Entering the hole, she came into a large hallway, decorated in ancient stone architecture, with blue highlights and a mural on the wall. Stopping to observe these, the vixen noted the symbol in the middle of it, one that looked very similar to the Krazoa statues she had seen outside. It seemed like it told of some story, but she could not quite tell what it meant. Making a mental note of it, she ventured on.
Eventually, Krystal arrived in front of a large wooden door. It seemed to have been battered in a few places as if something had been pounding on it with a weapon. And yet, it appeared to be shut currently. Growing anxious, Krystal began to pick up some emotion coming from a lifeform on the other side of the door. Thoughts of pain, grief, and despair ran rampant from whatever was through there. Realizing she had no other way, she resigned herself and prepared to open the door.
Almost immediailty, though, Krystal wished that she hadn't.
As the battered doors swung open, the vixen fell to her knees and gasped. She could barely look at what lay before her.
Inside the room she entered, she found the bodies of at least a dozen large dinosaurs; each lying dead, with horrible wounds visible across their bodies. Some had lost horns, while others had several nasty gashes or even weapons protruding from their bodies. Blood lined the floor of the room, leaking from the wounds of the slain dinosaurs. But it was at this moment, one of them stood up.
"Who goes there?" A weakened voice croaked. An injured dinosaur, covered in armor, had stood up. He wad 3 horns, though 2 were broken. Wounds decorated his hide, but he still seemed like a threat.
"He is the one whose emotions I sensed." Krystal realized before putting her hands up in a surrendering stance. "Calm yourself, warrior. I mean you no harm. My name is Krystal; I am here seeking a distress call." The vixen tried to explain.
Calming down a bit, the wounded warrior began to speak. " So my call was received after all. Maybe it's not in vain.." he trailed off.
"Excuse me; you were the one who sent the distress call? What happened here? What's not in vain?" Krystal asked, confused.
"Forgive me, outworlder. I am just at a loss. Please, come with me, we have little time. " He said, before limping over to a corner in the room.'
" You are hurt. You must rest." Krystal said, trying to stop him.
"No, no, there is no time. We have to-" was all the dino could say before a large quake suddenly thundered through the palace, shaking the whole place. A few rocks fell, and some dust fell from the ceiling. Krystal braced herself, preparing to dodge any falling rocks, but nothing came her way. The quake ended as fast as it had begun.
The two just stood there for a moment, utterly shocked at what had just occurred. After a few minutes of complete silence, the vixen broke the quiet.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?" She asked, bewildered.
"So it's already begun..." The injured dino muttered, still shocked.
"What? I don't understand any of this."
"Outworlder, please heed what I have to say well.' The soldier began. " I am the Captain of the battalion of Earthwalker soldiers sent to this palace. Before you arrived here, the Scale's and his army attacked this palace and slaughtered most of my troops. He seemed to be after the Krazoa Spirits that inhabited this palace." The Earthwalker Captain explained.
"But that quake and-" Krystal stuttered, still at a loss.
"That quake was something catastrophic. You see, if the predictions were correct, then several pieces of the planet just flew right off the surface!'
"WHAT?" Krystal gasped, reminded of the fate of her world. Calming herself, she continued her questioning. "How did that happen?"
"It is difficult to explain. The simplest I can put it is this: Our world is rich in very powerful magic. The Krazoa of ancient times created and placed 4 Spell Stones in what we call Force Point Temples worldwide to keep it stable. The Krazoa spirits kept watching over this magic force, keeping it in check." The Earth walked explained, trying his best to explain a complex situation in such a limited about of time. He went on
"Before his assault here, Scales' had stolen the Spell Stones from the force points temples. After that, his attack here scared off many of the Krazoa spirits that resided here. Without any of these forces in place, the world just shattered."
"Why would a planet be like that, to begin with?" Krystal asked.
"I have no time to recount the entire history of our world. I can only inform you of what's at hand now." The Earth walker went on.
"But what was your army doing here at the palace? And how did you contact me?"
Sighing, the Earthwalker went on, knowing he had little time but had to inform the vixen.
" The King Earthwalker had sent us here to try to defend the Krazoa Palace. But Scale's managed to overwhelm our force here, and in other parts of the planet. We had been fighting him for years, but it seems he has somehow become stronger."
"But how?"
"He seems to have gotten ahold of some advanced technology, the likes of which no other tribe has. We don't know how, but we have little idea how to counter it."
"And what of the distress call? How did you contact me?"
"The Krazoa here headed my plea. Before fleeing, one of the spirits answered my prayer and said he had imparted a message to someone who could aid us. Someone with unique gifts; I believe that to be you. "He said, an ember of hope evident in his voice.
"There must be a deeper connection with Sauria and Cerinia than I thought." Krystal thought to herself, realizing the potential connections she might find here. She then reaffirmed her current task. " I can investigate this connection later. I have to help them. I refuse to let a tyrant destroy this world. No world should have to suffer what mine did."
Nodding her head, she affirmed her resolve to the Earthwalker." I will do everything I can, but please tell me where I might start."
The Earthwalker's gaze shot up. " Thank you. I believe, for now, you should seek the Krazoa spirits aid. They have retreated to their shrines for safety. One such shrine is near us, in this very room." He said, gesturing to a warp pad across from them. " But be warned, they will offer you a test before they accept you as a vessel. I do not know what these could entail."
Krystal was undaunted. " Don't worry, I will be ready."
"Return to me when you are finished."
Turning Krystal prepared to enter the shrine. She walked across the room and entered the warp pad. Standing on it for a few seconds, she was enveloped in a flash of light, eventually appearing in a new area. The vixen then fell onto the floor, weirded out by the sensation she had felt from being teleported.
"Well, that was weird. It's like I just went across space and time." She thought.
Shaking off the feeling, the vixen glanced around at her surroundings. The room she found herself in seemed to be similar to the hallways and rooms of the Krazoa Palace. Ahead of her, she saw a hallway leading up to a turn. Venturing through it, she came upon another hallway, which seemed to have a vent on the floor, followed by a small pit with another one of the floating squid creatures.
Approaching them with caution, the vixen muttered to herself," What's the point of this vent-" and was then met with flames suddenly bursting out as if to answer her question.
"Well, that explains it."
Waiting for flames to cycle through, she dashed over the vent when it was done and then made for the pit. Scanning the area, she saw that the door seemed blocked by a sort of red, magic barrier. Krystal deduced that the sentinel must be connected to it, somehow. Grabbing her staff, she quickly blasted the creature with a fire blast, causing it to vanish into a burst of what Krystal could only describe as magic, leaving nothing behind. With that, the red barrier faded from the door, and the door opened.
"Easy enough," Krystal muttered before putting away her staff and venturing through the door. Inside, she found that the room was vast and open, with a platform in the center of it. On the center wall, there appeared to be some kind of portal. Krystal starred for a moment, unsure what to do.
Suddenly, a strange blue spirit shot out of the 'portal,' hovering just in front of the vixen, who had climbed onto the platform. "Welcome, child of Cerinia. Were have been waiting for you." It said in an almost otherworldly voice. "
The vixen was dumbfounded. How could this spirit seem to know so much about her?
"Are you one of the Krazoa? How could you know where I am from?" The blue vixen inquired.
'Indeed I am. My fellow Krazoa and I have watched over this world for millions of years. We had watched over your homeworld for a time as well but had lost contact with our members there long ago. We possess many abilities, including the ability to read through the minds of others, much like you can." The spirit went on. " We called you here because this planet is in grave danger. The removal of the Spell Stones and disruption of the Krazoa poses a dire threat to the lives of everyone here. But I require a vessel to return to the lifestream of the planet."
Krystal nodded, understanding the situation.
' But, be warned, only the worthy and pure of heart can possess us. Your actions have proven you to be pure of heart, but I must offer this test to see your resolve." The spirit went on.
"Could you explain what is involved?"
"Of course, my child. I must test your mind and memory. I will simply hide in one of many urns I conjure. Follow my urn and choose it out of the hoard of them. Is this clear?"
"Of course."
'Good, then let the test begin." The spirit finished before it flashed in a blue haze, and a group of urns suddenly appeared. The spirit entered one and began to shift around the hoard of pots. The vixen stared at it with laser focus before it moved from group to group. After several minutes of this, the urns stopped.
"Now find me." A voice called to her.
Thinking for a moment, the vixen focused until she could recount the Krazoa's urn's movements and pinpoint its location. "It's there."
After several seconds of anticipation, the Spirit floated out.
"Well done," It said. It then abruptly entered Krystal's body, causing her a brief amount of pain that was soon overcome by what felt like a boundless amount of energy. The vixen recoiled briefly before she regained her bearings. She felt delighted to have already have located one of the Krazoa spirits. It gave her renewed hope that maybe she could save this world after all.
"Hope the rest of these come just as easily." She thought to herself.
A little bit later, she had exited the Krazoa Shrine, appearing back in the warp room, near the injured Earthwalker. The injured Earthwalker glanced over at the vixen as she reemerged, wonder going through his head.
"Did you retrieve the spirit?" He asked, hopeful.
"Indeed I did. Now, please tell me what I must do next," Replied the vixen.
The Earthwalker thought for a moment before he recalled what the royal family had told him about the spirits.' I believe you must take the spirit further into the palace; there should be some kind of altar where you can return it." He finished.
"I see. I will do my best to locate it." Krystal replied, somewhat irked that she was relegated to errand girl like this but going with it regardless. The vixen then paused; she could not just leave this Earthwalker the way he was. Turning to the Earthwalker, she inquired about him.
"What about you? I can't just leave you here."
"Do not worry about me; I will be fine here. I've already sent away the other survivors to inform the Queen Earthwalker in Thorntail Hollow. As for me, I will see to it that the fallen members of my battalion are given a proper burial and honor. It's the least I could do for them. "He replied in a somber tone.
"But your wounds, they could get worse if left untreated. Maybe you could come back with me to the courtyard. The Cloudrunner Royal Guard Captain brought me here; he could tend to you." Krystal proposed, oblivious to the animosity between the two tribes.
"NO!" The Earthwalker's voice suddenly rang in anger. " I am capable of tending my wounds. Nor will I accept the aid of Cloudrunner!" He said, irritated the vixen had suggested that.
"My apologies, I am new to this world. I didn't mean to offend you." Krystal said, backtracking.
Calming down, the Earthwalker replied in a more calm tone. "It is alright, outworlder. I did not mean to lash out at you. It's just my tribe and the Cloudrunners… have a bit of a bad history with each other. Let's just keep it at that for now." He finished
"Very well. I will be off then." Krystal replied, walking off.
"What could be so bad that he lashed out just for a mere suggestion. I will have to ask Kree later." She thought.
She wandered through a nearby hall for some time, venturing past some more of the guardian creatures and Krazoa statues. After traveling through a few more corridors, she finally happened upon a particularly lavish-looking statue. In front of it seemed to be some sort of pad.
" This must be the altar." The vixen realized. Approaching it, she inspected the pad. Stepping on it, she began to wonder what she was supposed to do, now that she was here. Without warning, pain shot through her body as the Krazoa spirit forced its way out of her and entered the statue. The statue's eye lit up before a haze of blue emitted from it. It appeared as though the spirit had successfully returned its place amongst the palace, whatever that might entail.
Recovering from the sudden agony, Krystal stood up, at least relieved that she had successfully returned a spirit. But the feeling of relief faded quickly as the hair on the back of her neck stood up, sensing some kind of danger. On instinct, the vixen drew her staff and gazed across the room madly. She then turned to the statue as if expecting something to appear from behind it. But, after several long moments, nothing happened.
"What was that? Why did I feel this way?" The vixen wondered. She could not sense any other beings present, yet she could not shake the feeling something was watching her. "No one is here—just me. Calm down, Krystal. It's just your mind playing tricks." The vixen tried to tell herself to calm down.
"I need to leave." She muttered, hurrying back through the hallways she came through. It was not like Krystal suddenly feel a surge of fear out of nowhere. It was almost like something was stalking her, but she could not sense any thoughts or emotions in her vicinity. Not even from the guardians.
" Something was watching me, I am sure of it. But what could it have been? Whatever it was, I must be careful from here on. There might be something more to this than I realize." Krystal continued to ponder.
Eventually, she had reached the courtyard again. By this time, the storm had begun to clear. The rain had stopped, and she could make out some sunlight from the clouds. Retracing her steps further, she returned to Kree and Kyte.
The pair of Cloudrunners had not moved from their spot. Princess Kyte was awake by now, looking a bit healthier and less fatigued than she had when they landed. Kree also looked better, apparently having gotten some rest us his own. The two glanced over at the vixen when they noticed her presence; larger Cloudrunner greeted her.
'You're back, I see. Did you find what you were looking for?" He inquired.
Krystal frowned. "Yes, I located a group of Earthwalkers sent to guard this palace. But let's just say it was not a pretty sight, to say the least."
"What do you mean?" Kree asked, confused.
"Let's just say I found the aftermath of a Sharpclaw attack." She stated, wanting to spare them both the details. Kree and Kyte both understood what Krystal meant by that, with the Princess particularly unnerved.
Kree shook his head. "I hope it was quick. I don't wish such a fate onto anyone."
Eager to change the subject, Krystal turned her attention to Kyte.
"How are you feeling now, Princess?"
"Much better. I barely had any rest at all in the filthy cage. " The child said before going on. "You are a true friend to the Cloudrunners. You have already shown me such kindness, saving me and keeping me warm. I know my family and the rest of our tribe will forever be grateful." Kyte went on, expressing a surprisingly mature degree of gratitude. She then bowed to Krystal elegantly, in what Krystal assumed was a royal custom. Thankful, the vixen returned the bow, thinking it to be the correct response.
Kyte laughed slightly before her expression changed to a more curious one. "But, I am hoping maybe you can explain a few things to us?"
" Of course." The vixen replied.
"It's been a few hours, but we felt a massive quake shake this whole palace. It woke me up, but it was over just as soon as it happened. Do you have any idea what that was?
"Yes, I was wondering the same thing," Kree added in
In response, Krystal explained her encounter with the Earthwalker survivor and what he had told her. She also explained her trial by the Krazoa Spirit and how she had returned it to the palace.
Both Cloudrunners were taken aback by what they had just learned. They then both realized with horror that the Cloudrunner Fortress would be among the places sent into orbit.
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening," Kyte repeated in a panic.
"But the queen and the rest of our tribe, what will they do?" Kree said, in a slightly unerrved tone. " No, I must remain calm. The tribe will be alright." He reassured himself and his niece.
"But mother and my siblings, what about them?" Kyte asked, still worried.
Immediately, her uncle wrapped his wings around her and calmed her. " Don't worry; they will be ok. They have air up there. And besides, your mother can open a portal to and from the fortress with her Gatekeeper powers." Kree reassured Kyte.
Remembering this, Kyte calmed down a tad but was still worried about the other tribes trapped in the floating pieces. At least they would be fine for the time being, seeing as they still had what they needed to survive for now. (food and air were still present in the biomes sent into orbit)
Krystal interjected, " I am relieved to hear that, but what about your soldiers? What will they and your queen do now?" She inquired.
Kree thought for a moment. "Anyone who was not caught in the fortress will be scattered and seeking other Cloudrunners. It seems our next move should be to reunite with some and try to reassess the situation.' He finally said.
Thinking about it more, he announced: "Our best bet would be to go to Thorntail Hollow. I have some soldiers who were out on patrol there. It would be in our best interest to meet up with them."
"And what of the queen?" Krystal asked.
"Don't know right now; we will have to find a way to reestablish contact with her. But one thing at a time." Getting up, he motioned towards his back. "Hop on, Krystal. We have a long flight ahead of us."
Krystal nodded and got on. Kyte, on the other hand, hopped up. Eager to stretch her wings, she immediately shot up and started hovering near the other two.
"Come on; I don't want to miss the chance to stretch my wings after being in the cage for a few days!" She chirped.
"Of course. Hang on, Krystal." Kree replied before taking flight.
And with that, the trio began their journey towards Thorntail Hollow. Little did they know that an unseen figure was indeed watching them.
"I was not expecting a Cerinian to show up here. This planet continues to find ways to surprise me. The figure thought to itself. "No matter, things are proceeding the way I need them to. Already, this Cerinian has brought back one of the spirits. Perhaps I can play this to my advantage…." The figure trailed off in thought, pondering how he could spin this unexpected series of events to his advantage. For now, he opted to retreat into the shadows of the Krazoa Palace, biding his time until the chance he seeks presented itself…