Randorn had taken a few more moments to ponder this question before he realized he wouldn't be able to answer it right now. As the shock faded from Randorn's mind, new thoughts took their place, including a few realizations. He knew that if Krystal indeed was on Saruia, he would eventually be able to locate her using his powers. He knew his daughter would have many questions for him; about Cerinia, their family, and likely Sauria. He would have to think of how to answer these prospective questions. But there was something else that had dawned on him.
The wizard looked down at his clothes, then glanced around at his surroundings. Finally, he glanced at a nearby glass panel depicting the Krazoa and glanced at his reflection. He needed no more evidence; he was clearly a mess.
The aged fox was wearing a tattered, light robe and sandals that to go with. His robe had been dulled and dirtied by his time stranded on Sauria. His once well-kept fur had been rendered ragged and unkept. On top of that, he looked much more aged. Despite being 65, he had always maintained himself and his complexion, using his powers and comfortable living conditions to keep his fur grey and his complexion as smooth as possible. But, thanks to recent events, he did little to keep up such an effort. Since arriving, his face had been weathered by stress, and the fur around his face and muzzle continued to go white with age. He did not have access to the comfortable conditions that he did on Cerinia. The recent wounds he had suffered didn't help his appearance either.
His living conditions were even less pretty to look at. His tattered traveling coat had been slung over a pedestal while his tools and travel bag were spilled around on the floor. All around him, scrolls were flung all over the floor in a haphazard manner, as were his other tools. Besides that, many containers of what had been his new alcohol littered the place.
"Perhaps I should consider how I present myself to her as well. No reason for her to see me like this."
Random was, for the first time in a while, motivated to get himself together. The past few months had taken its toll on him, as was evident by the chamber he inhabited. He would have to do his best to clean up himself and his chambers; he owed Krystal that much, at the bare minimum. As he set about doing so, his mind circled back to the events that had led him to such a state.
After the Krazoa spirits of Cerinia had teleported him away from his world, he had been hit hard by a bout of grief and the depression that followed. The cruel reality that his family, home, and way of life had just been extinguished from existence had sunk into him the second he set foot on Sauria. To him, he was now little more than a living relic of a dead planet and way of life. Perhaps the last of his kind.
"How fitting that an old keeper of knowledge be the last remnant of a race." He had thought. "The vast amount of history and knowledge I hold, and yet no one more to pass them on too. Like Cerinia, they will die with me." Such thoughts lingered in his mind for months.
The day he had arrived on Suaria had been a roller coaster of events and emotions. Earlier that day on Cerinia, he had been on an expedition with his wife, Azure. The couple, renowned figures in the Cerinian society, were well known for their knowledge of magic and the planet's history. Azure was a priestess of the Krazoa, while Randorn was both a renowned wizard and keeper of lore. The two would regularly lead expositions to explore the ancient ruins that littered Cerinia and uncover their secrets. On this latest expedition, Randorn had uncovered some kind of chamber underneath a previously unknown temple. He had been investigating the chamber when the calamity took place. Within a few minutes, the planet's core had gone unstable, and the world had blown itself apart. It had been so abrupt and sudden that Randorn doubted many Cerinians could have made it off-world in time; most of the survivors, if there were any, were likely those who were in or near ships or otherwise off-world.
As for Azure, Randorn had asked her to return to their base camp to retrieve the other members of their expedition to show them the chamber. Abruptly, the planet would explode only a few minutes after she left. Randorn shudder at the next memory.
Several Krazoa spirits suddenly appeared around him and began activating the chamber. Randron begged them to wait for his wife and friends, but they could only solemnly respond that there was no time. The last thing Randorn heard before he was teleported away was a ghostly saying: "We are sorry, but Cerinia's history must live on. There is nothing more we can do."
The next thing the old fox knew, he was being flung through some kind of otherworldly warp. When he came to, he woke up in a chamber much like the one he had just left on Cerinia. Only, the article was different, and strange symbols adorned the walls. These had been of little concern to the old vulpine, however. All he could do was collapse to his knees and gasp in horror at what he had just sensed. Through his powerful telepathy, he had sensed the planet on the verge of exploding, and the countless screams of horror and agony that had formed emitted from all those within a wide radius. For nearly all of them, this would be the end. Randorn needed no more confirmation than this to know what fate befell his world.
After some time lost in his thoughts, a specter had appeared before him. It was a Krazoa spirit, like those that had lived on Cerinia. The spirit had explained that their brethren did what they could to save the wizard but could not save the rest of his world. They implored him to take some time to recover and explore the world and discover its secrets. The Krazoa would give him refuge in a hidden temple located within Warlock Mountain; which was connected to the region Krazoa Palace is was located in. A hidden warp accessed it within a secret room in the palace.
After setting himself up in a chamber within the Warlock Mountain Temple, he would eventually explore the regions of Sauria on his own. Exiting the palace using a warp pad that led to the Warp Stone, he would travel the regions of Sauria, exploring the world and learning from those who had lived in it. He made little attempt to contact the tribe leaders, however. He wished to keep his presence on the world a secret while processing his inner thoughts and emotions. His travels were manly to keep his mind off the fate that befell his home. Over time, he learned to repress his pain and grief and live with it. He had found a new purpose amongst the dinosaurs of Sauria; which was to study their history and connection to the Krazoa while aiding those in need.
Have some months of traveling, Randorn had eventually visited the Walled City, where the Earthwalker Temple was located. Here, he would meet the King Earthwalker, who had welcomed the wizard with open arms(metaphorically speaking).
King Albada would go on to explain the plight against Scales' and the recent escalation of the attacks. The King would plead for the wizard's aid against Scales. Being unable to let a tyrannical monster threaten a world, Randorn would agree to aid how he could. Randorn agreed to go with a battalion of Earthwalkers to the Krazoa Palace and defend it against the Sharpclaw's attacks. Randorn had not met the Queen or Prince Tricky at this time, as they were off on another expedition.
This was a week before the fall of the Walled City.
The defense of the Krazoa Palace had ended in failure, with the army being defeated and Randorn wounded. Scales had personally taken part in the attack and had fought Randorn head-on. With all his powers(similar to those found in the Krystal's staff), the wizard had proven a formidable opponent, but he was still slowed down with age. On the other hand, despite being 50, Scales was still in top physical condition and processed deadly skills in combat. The technologically advanced belt he possessed had granted him access to advanced abilities, including a personal shield, optic camo, and even teleportation. Yet,the most curious of all was the advanced strength and speed he seemed to pocess, similar to that granted by the procession of a Krazoa Spirit. Ultimately, despite his best efforts, Randorn was defeated and critically wounded. The rest of the army was slaughtered or wounded as well.
HE did what he could to stabilize the captain, but he was still left mortally wounded. Randorn had barely managed to survive by using some of his self-healing spells, but they could only heal so much of the damage left by Scales. Retreating back to his secret warp, he barely had any energy left to heal the surviving Earthwalkers. The aged fox asked the captain to keep Randorn's warp a secret in case of any spies, and the captain had agreed.
When he got back to his chambers, the wizard could barely summon the effort to crawl back onto his bed mat. He felt like he had failure Sauria by being unable to keep Scale's at bay. A few days later, this feeling was only exacerbated when he sensed the planet breaking apart again and the horror that washed over the natives. Such an event had only reopened the wounds from Cerinia's destruction. Random had wasted away in his chambers for days on end after this, wrecked by depression and feelings of worthlessness.
Until now, that is. The events of today, though shocking, instilled hope into the old fox. Not only had he sensed the return of a Spell Stone to its spot, but he found out his daughter was still alive. Though he was still injured, he sensed it was only a matter of time before his daughter would find him again. With that in mind, he continued to try and tidy up his quarters.
"No excuse for her to see me like this."
"Finally, we made it back," Fox said as the old well came into view. His group had finally made it back to the Thorntail Hollow after a few hours of hiking. Krystal had begun to brighten up again, looking more excited than anything. It seemed the prospect of her father being alive had finally sunk in, and she had realized that, at the very least, someone in her family would be together with her again.
Ahead of him, Tricky and Kyte had run forward, likely to tell Tricky's mother about the success at the temple. Fox, meanwhile, decided to set up camp by his Arwing, accompanied by Krystal. He felt they would take a breather for a bit, but they still intended to return the Krazoa Spirit as fast as they could. The world was at stake, of course.
By this point, it had begun started to reach nightfall. The trip to and from Moon Mountain Pass had taken up most of the day. By now, the sun was beginning to set.
The two vulpines gazed up at the sky, admiring the sunset. A lovely sight, but they would have little time to watch it. A pair of heavy footsteps alerted them as Queen Thera, and the Thorntail elder had begun pacing over to the vulpines. Tricky paced at his mother's side while Kyte was perched on the back of the elder.
Fox and Krystal got up to greet the dinosaurs.
"It is good to see you all again. Tricky told me that you returned the Spell Stone and found another Krazoa Spirit. Well done. Your efforts are vital to the restoration of our world." Thera explained.
"Yes, I tribe and I are beyond grateful for your efforts," Bardon added. "And I must be compliant the prince for his work as a guide." She added, being met with a smile by Tricky.
"Just doing my job," Fox replied, adhering to his professionalism. Krystal nudged him a bit before correcting: "What he means is we are happy to help." Krystal's amused expression then dropped. "But, a question if I may, your highness…." Krystal begun.
"Of course." Thera nodded.
"I sensed a familiar presence on this world, another one from my homeworld. My father. Were you ever aware of another being like me before I arrived on this world?" Krystal inquired.
Thera nodded a bit solemnly. "Yes, I believe so. For months, there had been rumors of an aged grey fox wandering the world, helping dinosaurs here and there. They claimed he wielded powers like you described your stick has. Yet, the encounters with him have been few and far between, and many of us dismissed it as rumors." Thera explained. "Now that I think about it, I recall my husband had mentioned, the day before the attack, he made contact with this induvial, and he was sent to Krazoa Palace to defend it with our battalion. I never met him, and we never really mentioned it to my son. After the city fell and everything went downhill, I suppose it barely crossed my mind. I almost thought him dead, truthfully, after what I heard of the palace." Thera went on.
"I am sorry for not mentioning anything about it sooner. I had barely thought of him in the past week, after everything that happened. I don't know anything more about him, though." Thera apologized.
"It's not your fault. We had other things pressing us. Something like that would have seemed unimportant until I asked. But none of the other Thorntails mentioned him either?" The vixen asked, turning to the elder.
"My tribe barely encountered him. And I personally never met him. Understand, word doesn't travel around this planet nearly as fast as you might think. We can't just talk to each other from across the world, like your and your friend do with those weird metal items you have." Bardon explained."
"Fair point," Krystal said, her curiosity about why they hadn't mentioned another outworlder satisfied.
Fox then spoke up. "The Krazoa told us we would expect to find him in the Krazoa Palace or through it. They were vague, but I guess we will find out when we get there." Fox said.
"And just so you know, I imagine we will be gone until at least tomorrow morning. If my father really is there, both of us have much to discuss." Krystal said before she turned her gaze to the children. "If you don't mind, I would appreciate if we left Kyte and Tricky with you. I don't want them to see the remnants of the battle, and some privacy would be nice."
Thera nodded. Tricky and Kyte, who would normally be adamant about splitting from the team, exchanged glances and nodded. They knew that the vixen would need some privacy in light of reuniting with a thought-dead family member.
Fox then spoke up. "Alright, I think it would be good if we get a move on. Have a goodnight, everyone; hopefully, we see you tomorrow in the morning." Fox said, getting up.
The dinosaurs before them nodded and went their separate ways. Tricky and Kyte said goodbye and ran off to play while the adults went back to Bardon's cave. Fox and Krystal then got up and made their way to the Warpstone.
(A bit later)
The two foxes came out of a beam of light, one after the other, onto exited a warp pad on a palace balcony. Fox stood there in awe at the sight of the palace. The architecture and stonework were unlike any he had ever seen, with intricate carvings that adorned the structure. Uptop, several glass murals, each a different shade of violet or blue, were apparent. In the entrance ahead of them, he noted several large statues of the Krazoa.
"I see they don't skip on the architecture," Fox muttered.
"Indeed, it's lovely. It reminds me a lot of the structures we had on Cerinia. I suppose the Krazoa had a hand in the fashion it was built." Krystal said.
"Do you know where to go from here?" Fox asked.
"I think so. We arrived in a part of the palace I had not been inside during my last trip here. But I am sure I can find the way. There should be a way towards to the main spire of the palace."
"Lead on, then."
With that, the vixen lead Fox through the palace. They had gone through the entrance and begun falling a few torches, which seemed to light up on their own, down a hallway. Along the way, they had seen a few of the squid-like creatures. Fox had drawn his weapon had the sight of them, but Krystal stopped him and explained they were neutral guardians and would only attack when provoked(or if the Krazoa ordered it)
Going forward, they came to a three-way segment, with a trail of blood going down one to the right, into a room with a now-closed door. Fox was a bit disturbed.
"I take it what's in that room is what you didn't want the kids to see?" Fox asked, connecting the dots.
"Indeed. That must be one of the rooms the Earthwalkers held out in. It… was not a pretty sight when I went through there." Krystal said, cringing a bit.
There was an unspoken agreement amongst the two that they would avoid that room unless otherwise necessary. They continued heading down the hall, where they eventually came onto another larger chamber. In here, they found a Krazoa statue, similar to where Krystal released the last one. Krystal stopped Fox before he got too close.
"Fox, I have to warn you, releasing the spirit will be painful. The pain is sudden and abrupt; it will last only a few moments, but it will leave quite the shock if you aren't ready." The vixen told Fox.
The mercenary leader hesitated for a moment. "I see. Don't worry about me; I've been in pain before. If this is what it takes to save the planet, then so be it." He replied.
Mentally preparing himself, he approached the statue and was suddenly overcome with unbearable pain, as the spirit that inhabited his body left him and returned to the statue, causing it to glow. Fox was left reeling in pain, trying to recover from the shock of such an experience. Krystal rushed to his side and knelt down to aid him back up.
"Fox! Are you ok?" She asked, worried. Fox, after a few moments, got back up with Krystal's help.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He said as the pain receded. Glancing up, they both noticed the statue's glow, and a few fixtures in the room they were in had begun to light up in response to the Krazoa's return.
"Guess it worked after all," Fox stated.
"Indeed it has." A ghostly voice sounded, briefly catching the two foxes off guard before realizing it was the spirit.
"Don't be alarmed; I am merely speaking to you through telepathy." The spirit responded.
Krystal then spoke up. "You mentioned I would find the answers I sought about my father when we got here." She pressed, wanting to get a straight answer.
"Of course, child of Cerinia. The wizard has been an invaluable ally to us since he has arrived. Go to the central chamber of the palace; you will find a purple warp once hidden away behind one of the statues. It will take you to the where the wizard is hidden, within the sacred temple at Warlock Mountain." The ghostly voice answered before a glowing light manifested from the statue. It began to float towards the other exit in the chamber they were in, which had been opened.
"Guess we should follow it." Krystal murmured, deep in thought.
The two foxes followed the light down the hall, not running into any further obstacles. The squid creatures left them alone, as they were not enemies. Along the way, they noted the complete lack of any kind of Sharpclaw in the area, despite their dominance over the region.
"Thought the Sharplcaw would have a presence here," Fox muttered.
"I doubt the palace is of any importance to them at the moment. They might not know about us returning the spirits, nor would they have any strategic value in leaving an army here. They already did what they wanted to after defeated the Earthwalkers; the palace has sat empty since. Besides, the Krazoa's guardians, those squids, would likely continue to hound any forces left over. "Krystal explained.
The two foxes continued to follow the light from the Krazoa until they finally reached the central keep of the palace. It was a large room, several stories high, with several floors arranged circularly. Stone walls and metallic pillars adorned the room. In the center was a wide-open space, where a colossal Krazoa statue sat, with an opening at the top leading to the roof above its head, on the ceiling. The light had flown up to the third floor, where a statue had been opened from the wall.
The duo then glanced to their side, where they found a staircase that went up to the highest floor. The duo climbed the staircase only up to the third floor. After a few moments, they got found the statue that had been opened out from the wall. Behind it lay a purple wrap pad.
Krystal hesitated for a moment. Fox noticed this and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry; I will be right here with you. Besides, your father will be happy to see you." He assures the vixen
She nodded but still remained hesitant. "I know, and I am excited to see him. I am just not ready for some of the topics we will have to discuss. Though, I suppose it's better to address these instead of just ignoring it for all time."
"Just keep it light, and discuss it when both of you are ready."
"Fair point. Well, let's not keep him waiting then."
With that, the two vulpines entered the warp.
Randorn had long since finished tidying up his chambers. The scrolls and tools had been removed from the floor and placed more neatly on his desk. His coat was hung up on a makeshift hook the wizard had fashioned, and his clothing was repaired to the best of his ability( his magical abilities, as vast as they were, didn't exactly have much use in tailoring clothing).
One of the Kraoza had contacted him via telepathy to inform him Krystal was on her way. Randorn had sensed the return of the other spirit through the temple's magic energy. The magical properties of Warlock mountain enhanced the wizard's abilities greatly. He had been sitting patiently on a bench in his room, glancing at the hall way entrance for what felt like ages, waiting for his daughter to walk through the door. Though he was old and had learned great patience, the anticipation was still gnawing at him and driving him crazy.
"Come on, just hold on a bit longer, you old fool. You have lived a lifetime of adventures and contain vast knowledge; you should be able to handle this more maturely."
Just as he thought that he suddenly heard what sounded like a warp being used, his heart rate surged.
"By the Krazoa, can it be?"
Fox and Krystal had exited the warp and were met with a room similar to those one would see in Krazoa Palace. Ahead of them was a short hallway with an entrance to another, larger chamber. With no other way, they walked down the hall and entered the room. As they came into view, Krystal stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the figure before her.
On the other end of the room, an old grey fox in a light robe sat on a bench. His expression was one of complete shock. For the two Cerinians, Fox could only remain quiet as he realized who this must be. After a few tense moments, the vixen and old fox spoke.
"Krystal?"
"Father!"
In a flash, Krystal bolted over to where her father was seated while the aged wizard got up to hug his daughter. The two of them embraced each other in a hug for what must have been a solid minute before finally letting go.
"I thought you were dead!" Krystal said as tears began to form in her eyes.
"I thought the same of you. Thank the Krazoa you are not." Randorn replied before hugging her again. "Being able to hold you here in my arms now, after everything that happened these past months is like a gift from the heavens. I never dreamt it would happen." Randorn said, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Krystal could not hold back her questions. She was aware they had just gotten here, but she had to know. She had waited too long to find any answers about her homeworld.
"Father, how are you alive? I thought you dead with the rest of our world." Krystal pressed.
The old fox sighed. "In short, I discovered some kind of chamber when the catastrophe hit, under an ancient ruin. When the planet's core went off, the Krazoa spirits suddenly appeared before me and activated the chamber, which teleported me to the Krazoa Palace." Randorn answered.
Krystal then realized something. "Wait, does that mean mom…" she began to ask before backtracking. Randorn shook his head in sorrow. "I sent her back to the camp to retrieve our other friends when it happened. I am sorry, Krystal." Randorn said as tears formed in his eyes again.
"Oh" Was all Krystal could say, as her expression dropped again. Regardless, she still moved to comfort her father. "It's not your fault. You nor anyone else had any way of knowing."
Randorn nodded without another word. Though he knew this, a part of him would still feel guilty. He figured now might be a good time to discuss the rest of their world with Krystal while it was brought up. The thirst to ask these questions burned brilliantly within both of the Cerinians.
"I am sorry to press you like this when we just reunited, but I have to know: did anyone else manage to get off the world with you?" Randorn asked, feeling the same lust for answers burning inside him as Krystal did.
Krystal was silent for a moment before she answered. "I don't know. I was out flying our family shuttle when it happened. . It all happened so fast, I had no time to get to you or any one else; I had to leave orbit immediately." She said, before she thought back to that fateful day. "Now that I think about it, I did see a few other ships flee the atmosphere, but they jetted away in all sorts of directions. I am sure others around the planet did the same. But understand I had no time to search from orbit; I jetted out of the blast radius as fast as I could. Anyone else who escaped the planet would have had to do the same if they wanted to survive. The planet's destruction would kill anyone else still within orbit at the time." Krystal answered.
Randorn found at least some comfort in her words. "So maybe we are not the only ones left. But, from what you said, it's impossible to tell exactly how many of us are left or where they are now." He noted solely.
"I have drifted from planet to planet for months, and have not seen any other Cerinians. I have no idea how to track the others. Nor do I have any more information on what caused our world's destruction."
"Well, at least we are not the only ones still out there." Randorn mused, solemnly. Though he wished they could no more, the knowledge that their culture would still live on in some form, in some place, was of some comfort to him. Still, there were questions that lingered in his mind. He then thought of his son.
"What of Sabre? Did he make it off-world?"
"I am sorry, but I doubt it. He was out with a friend when it happened." Krystal said sadly.
Randorn had expected as much. He figured it would be the same story for the rest of their family. But he realized he was getting ahead of himself. There was no reason to further dwell on this; they both knew the answers to these painful questions and had accepted them months back. Still, both foxs fell silent again for a solid minute. They had expected such fates to before their world and family and were forced to accept it the moment their world exploded. They each had already had time to process this information, months in fact. But it's still hurt to think about.
"Krystal, it is wonderful to see you again, but I feel we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit here. We still have much to discuss, but let's just take a step back. I think we both could use that." Randorn asserted. Krystal nodded in agreement; bombarding each other with questions about their world right after they reunited was not the most optimal way to greet one another.
Randorn then glanced over at Fox, who had been sitting on another bench within the room. He had been trying to give the two foxes some space as they greeted each other. Randorn figured this would be a good time to get acquainted.
"So, Krystal, who might your friend here be?" Randorn inquired, to which Fox perked up.
"I think he can explain it better than I can. Fox?" Krystal said, gesturing for her partner to come over to her. Fox got up and figured he should just be upfront with the wizard. Randorn, however, spoke first.
"I take it you must be a friend of Krystal's. My name is Randorn. As you guessed, I am Krystal's father. Who might you be?" The aged vulpine asked politely.
"My name is Fox Mccloud, lead pilot of the Star Fox team. It's a pleasure to meet you." Fox said, offering his hand to the wizard. Randorn shook it in turn.
"Star Fox, you say? Now that you mention that, I believe I heard a bit about you; your piloting skills are well known. Your team has become quite legendary ever since you defeated Andross' armies during the Lylat Wars. Though Cerinia was far removed from the conflict, word eventually reached us during these intervening years." Randorn responded.
Fox scratched his head. "Yeah, that's us. However, we aren't really much of a legendary squad at the moment. We've hit a dead zone in jobs lately. Until now." Fox added.
Randorn nodded his head. "You on a job?" Randorn asked. He could just read Fox's mind, but he found it more natural to engage in conversation instead of peering into everyone's thoughts.
"Yes, Corneria hired me to look into saving this world from destruction. I take it you are aware of the situation?" Fox asked. Again, Randorn nodded.
Krystal then spoke up again. "Fox has been helping me to save this world. I met him a few days ago in Thorntail Hollow. He helped me save Cloudrunner's Princess." Krystal explained.
"I see. Like a knight of some sort." Randorn laughed. As he did so, he felt a sudden pain in his chest. He winced and fell back onto the bench. Krystal gasped at this and hurried to aid her father, followed by Fox.
"Father! Are you ok?" Krystal asked, worried.
"Yes, just some leftover paint from my fight with Scales. It will heal." Randorn assured. His response only worried Krystal more.
"You fought Scales alone? What were you thinking?!"
"Now, Krystal, I understand your worry, but I had to do something. I guess you must know what happened at the Krazoa Palace by now. Rest assured, my condition is stable, thanks to my magic, but I will need to heal for a while. It's nothing some rest won't fix." Randorn assured them.
Krystal shook her head. "Father, I can sense your pain. You won't die, but it's clear you need a proper check-up." She then turned to Fox. "You have anything that could help?"
Fox should his head. "The basics. If he was able to stabilize his condition, I doubt band-aids and disinfectant spray will do anything. Though, we have better medical equipment back onboard the Great Fox." Fox said, realizing something. "We could extract you there."
"Thank you, but I must decline-"Randorn began before his daughter cut him off.
"No, Father. I will not risk your health out of stubbornness. You will accept their assistance, or I will make you accept it. Your stubbornness will do you no good here." Krystal said sternly. Randorn backed down and realized this was likely for his benefit in the long run.
"Alright, but it's very late now. I won't expire before morning; at least wait until then."
Krystal thought for a moment before glancing at Fox. She shrugged. "Fair enough. If you are stable, then fair enough."
Fox agreed. "Yeah, it would be difficult to get him on board the Great Fox at this hour. Flying in the darkness can be dangerous."
"Yes, and yet, I am not tired. There is still so much I wish to discuss with you all." Randorn stated. "If you don't mind, I am curious about your quest and how you came to meet, exactly."
Krystal and Fox nodded. "Of course. But, we could ask you the same thing. It would seem you have been busy these past few months." Krystal said, noting the scrolls and other items around the room while also thinking of the battle with Scales he mentioned.
"Indeed. I will tell you what I know, but I would like to hear your story first."
Randorn responded. From then on, the three foxes spent the night telling each other about their exploits on Sauria, as well as Krystal's recent past. They talked for nearly two hours. Fox explained his mission in greater detail while Krystal spoke of her landing and exploits on Sauria with Fox. Rnadorn, meanwhile, spoke of his travels since arriving on Sauria and the experiences he had. The conversation was full of different emotions; some joy, some sadness, as well as a dash of hope.
As Randorn, who was the last to speak, finished recounting his battle with Scales', Krystal was enraged.
"That bastard!" She had said, enraged by what he had done to the Earthwalkers and Randorn. It was one thing to see the aftermath of his deeds, but hearing a first-hand account was another story.
Fox was stunned by some of the things he had heard. "I am sorry about what happened here."
"As am I" Randorn said. He then turned to his daughter. "And Krystal, I am sorry about what you had to go through before getting to Sauria."
Krystal shook her head. "Don't be. It's over with now."
Randorn nodded. "Indeed. You both have accomplished so much here. Not only after you reunited families and given hope to the tribes, but you are making excellent progress saving this world. With your help, the tide of the war will change."
"As have you, father. You have done something wonderful to aid the tribes as you have." Krystal stated.
"It seems the three of us have that in common," Randorn said.
Fox nodded. "Yes, but if you don't mind, I think that's enough talk of grand adventures for the night. I think, by Cornerian standards, it would be almost 1 am by this point. I would like to get some sleep." Fox said, getting his sleeping arrangements in order from his bag.
"Indeed. I will leave you to it then if that's ok." Randorn finished, catching a nod from his daughter. With that, everyone made for their sleeping arrangements. Fox and Krystal slept in the sleeping bags Fox had while Randorn slept on his cot. After such a long day full of emotions, the three foxes were nothing sort of racked. Each of them quickly fell asleep.
(A bit earlier that night)
Kyte and Tricky had been playing tag for some time, even as the sun had begun to set. They hand been playing in the middle of the hollow while Queen Thera watched them. Tricky's mother had been pleased to see the two young dinosaurs getting along, especially given their families and their tribe's bitter history. It might be a stepping stone to healing the tensions between the tribes, as she had hoped. But now, it was getting late. Like any mother, she had to get her child to sleep according to their bedtime.
"Tricky, Kyte, it's getting late. Come back to the cave in a few minutes." She had called to them before padding off. It felt a bit just a tad weird to Thera for her to be watching over the daughter of a rival queen, let alone having her sleep in the same cave as her and her son. But circumstances were weird right now, and it would be wrong to just leave the princess out by herself.
Unknown to her, Kyte felt the same way. "I won't lie, Tricky, it's a bit weird to be sleeping in the same room as the royal family of my tribe's archenemy. No offense."
"None taken." Tricky replied. Since the two made up, Tricky had mellowed substantially.
"But hey, its an unusual time for us. We Earthwalkers always believed in showing hostility to those in need. And you have done more than enough to earn it." Tricky said referencing Kyte's efforts to aid him and his mother.
"Thanks. I will say, I think I prefer this to be outside by myself. At least I am with a friend." Kyte said, to which Tricky smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, who would have thought? But that's enough for now, I am getting tired."
"Yeah, let's just get to sleep. I think I am nearly out of breath." Kyte agreed, having been chasing Trick non-stop all afternoon. The two friends headed off to the queen's cave.
When they arrived, Tricky curled up next to his mother while Kyte perched on a rock nearby in the cave. Cloudrunners had different sleeping habits than Earthwalkers. Bardon was in another room of the cave, snoring loudly. The royal dinosaurs and elder slept peacefully that night. Unknown to them, however, was the visitor who had just arrived nearby.
Kree had been flying for the better part of that day, desperately trying to reunite with any other Cloudrunner scouts he could find. He was desperate and uncertain what he could do now. Cloudrunner Fortress would undoubtedly be overrun and, with their queen captured, the Cloudrunner armies would be demoralized. What did not help was the fact the armies were already scattered. Technically, the command of the forces would fall to him since he was a member of the royal family and captain of the royal guard. But he did not exactly have any troops at the moment.
Eventually, though, his luck had improved; he came upon another lost patrol and relayed what he had gone through to them. They worked tirelessly to track down the Sharpclaw transports that had taken the queen and the other soldiers throughout the day, based on the flight path Kree had seen them take after he got out of range during the initial attack. They eventually managed to locate down to a Sharplcaw base in a forested region of Sauria, some ways from Discovery Falls and Cape Claw. From there, they watched from the shadows as they could not hope to counter the bases' defense with so few soldiers. They managed to make contact with a Bribeclaw, who was out on guard duty, beyond the base's walls. They took and gambled and offered him a few pieces of treasure they had on them to get the transport plans for the prisoners in case of emergency. The Bribeclaw( as they had been dubbed by any tribe that dealt with the mercenary Sharpcalws) agreed and produced the plans later that night when the coast was clear. They knew he would keep such an affair silent, as he was self-interested and would be clapped in chains if his bribery was made known to his superiors.
With this, they learned the troops would be sent to some other prison in the golden planes and the queen to Cape Claw. Kree would dispatch the scouts to link up with the other soldiers they had coordinated with during their patrols while he returned to Thorntail Hollow to retrieve Krystal and Kyte, and then rescue the queen himself. He figured there would be more guards to the soldiers, as they were numerous and more dangerous in combat than Saffali was known to be. As such, while having a decent guard around her, the queen would still have less protection than the large convoy that would be around the other Cloudrunner soldiers. With Krystal's help, Kree was certain he could free her. He just hoped that someone would know where they went if Krystal and Kyte were not in the hollow.
After his long flight, he had finally arrived in Thorntail Hollow by midnight, exhausted. He was too exhausted and stressed to even bother caring about his surroundings. He did not even bother to alert the Thorntails; they were always accommodating. He simply found a place to rest in the south part of the hollow and fell right asleep.
Finally, a new chapter is done! Sorry about the wait; I had school work and went through several drafts for this chapter before deciding on the one I like best. Also, I started drafting the next chapter while writing this one as well. I was going to make this chapter go all the way to Cloudrunner Fortress, but I moved what I wrote to the next one to avoid pacing problems.