At Stone-in-the Wood:
Rian was running, sprinting through the Gelfling littering the village paths. He was headed for the main hall as fast as he could, apologizing to any who he accidently pushed too hard to get past. Could it really be her, he had wondered as he saw the main hall ahead of him. Could Deet really be back? Rian burst through the doors and looked around aimlessly for the light blonde hair tied in many braids paired with fair green skin.
He saw her. There she was standing with her back to him, speaking to Maudra Yre. Rian's stomach lurched, he could barely believe his own eyes. In all the time she had been gone, he had been hoping for this moment, the moment of her return and here it was. He stood there with his mouth open, gazing at her with admiration when Maudra Yre had called out to him.
"Rian?"
Deet then turned to see Rian standing behind her, he looked just as he had the day she left. His long brown hair was falling over his shoulders and his eyes were piercing as he looked only at her. She had missed him so much.
"Rian," Deet smiled.
Hearing his name come from her sweet voice was more beautiful than he had remembered.
"Deet," he finally moved forward wrapping her in his arms.
Deet could only burry her head into his chest, this was the second time they had hugged and it was so comforting to Deet. Rian inhaled the scent of her hair, she smelled like moss and mud, it was intoxicating to be so close to her once more.
"I'm so glad you're safe," he sighed, as if now being able to touch, his mind had registered that she was not a figment of his mind. He let his shoulders relax as he took another deep breath.
"It's good to see you again," she smiled at him as she pulled back, his heart thumped at her large dazzling brown eyes looked upon him. "Sorry, got to be careful," she looked down at the small wrapped bundle in her arms. Inside Rian saw what she was guarding, it was a small Podling child that was sleeping peacefully cuddled into Deet's torso.
Rian looked to Deet with a puzzled expression and Deet giggled," It's a long story."
" But...," Rian was at a loss for words. "But how? Where have you been? What happened?," he now was ready for all his questions to be answered.
"That is what we are discussing now, Rian," Maudra Yre spoke and Rian realized they were still in the main hall... in front of others. He took a small step back away from Deet to make some space and cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Maudra Yre," he apologized.
"Think no more of it," Maudra Yre's mouth lifted into a smile. "I know you have missed your friend," she then turned her attention back to Deet," Deet, I would like you to finish."
Deet nodded and faced Maudra Yre," It was then I came onto the Spriton Plains and saw the burned houses. I'd never been there before and I feared," she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I was scared I had been gone so long that everyone I cared for had already been taken by the Skeksis."
"You need not fear that anymore," Maudra Yre comforted her. "Your fathers are here along with your brother. They will surely be glad to see you."
"Thank you, Maudra Yre," Deet bowed her head.
"So you saw nothing of what caused this?"
Deet shook her hear," No, I came upon it only just before your soldiers. That's where I found this Podling, it was hiding. Maudra Yre, what happened there?"
Maudra Yre took a moment before responding," We are still trying to figure it out. Spritons say that there were monsters that took the villagers away. We believe it was the Skeksis who did this but we still don't know how."
"Monsters?"
"Yes, please tell me if you know anything else."
"I will, Maudra Yre," Deet promised.
"I will call upon you later to discuss what happened earlier in your journey," Maudra Yre made the vague statement in an attempt to keep what Deet had told her about the Darkening confidential. "Please go to your family and rest. Rian will escort you to where the Grottons are staying"
"Thank you," Deet said again before turning to leave with Rian.
"We will have to go find Hup," Rian whispered.
"Hup is here!," Deet squealed with excitement, causing the small Podling tucked into her arms to stir.
"Yes, he came searching for you with Rek'yr."
"I'm so happy he's okay? Did Skekgra heal him?"
"I'm not sure, he hasn't said much being here. He is still worried about you."
"I've been worried about him too," Deet admitted. "I thought he was still at the Circle of the Suns."
"Well it looks to me as if you had your hands full with a different Podling," Rian craned his neck to look at the baby Deet was carrying.
"I found her in Sami Thicket, she was all alone Rian."
"She?"
"It's just a guess," Deet smiled down at the sleeping child.
"So whoever took the Spritons also took the Podlings?," Rian was trying to piece it all together.
"Who else would want to hurt Gelfling if not the Skeksis," Deet looked to Rian.
"It's the only thing that makes sense... The Skeksis are more horrid than I ever belived possible. I don't know why I'm even surprised they would do something like this. They're evil... but how did they take the whole village? Only a few lucky survivors made it here."
"I don't know," Deet shook her head," But that place was scary... it felt like Thra was screaming... why would they burn everything?"
"The Skeksis have no reason for the repulsive beings they are," Rian's jaw clenched. "I'm just happy to see you're safe. Everyone here has been so worried about you... why did you leave?," Rian finally asked the question he cared about most.
Deet sighed," It wasn't safe for me here, I can't explain it all because it's still a mystery to me, but I left to protect you... all of you."
Rian was out of time, they had reached the Grotton's make shift camp and once one saw Deet, a small riot formed.
"DEET IS BACK!" "Is that really Deet?" "Find Lath'N and Mitjan!" "Deet where have you been?!"
They swarmed around her, all of them were excited to see Deet was safe.
"Deet?," A small voice popped up.
"Bobb'N!," Deet quickly handed the small Podling to Rian, Rian clumsily secured the child in his arms as Deet embraced her younger brother. "Oh, I missed you!"
"Too tight," Bobb'N pushed Deet away.
"Deethra!," Lath'N, Deet's father pushed his way through the swam of green Gelfling to his daughter.
"Thank the maudra!," he cried pulling Deet into his arms.
"Father," she started to cry too, holding onto him tightly.
"I thought we lost you," he sniffled.
"I thought I lost you!"
"Oh Deet!," Mitjan joined in and wrapped his arms around his daughter and husband. "We were so worried!"
"I'm sorry," Deet cried.
It was a tender moment full of love and warmth, Rian watched with a smile as Deet reunited with her family. It made him think of his own father, how Rian wished his father was here to help guide him through the mess that was now his reality. His father had been so brave, almost ruthless, Rian only wished he could be half the Gelfling Ordon had been.
Deet wiped her tears," I'm so glad you're all okay."
"We're fine, Deethra dear," Lath'N rubbed her back.
The baby started to fuss in Rian's arms," Uhhh... Deet?"
Rian had no experience with children, let alone a baby... let alone a baby Podling!
Deet looked over to Rain and smiled, Rian looked completely helpless with an unraveling baby in his arms. She giggled as she took the baby from him," I'll take her," she swaddles the baby tightly and began to rock it in her arms.
"It seems much has changed since I last saw you," Maudra Argot winked at Deet.
"I just am so happy to see you all are okay. I've been so worried."
Maudra Argot let out a curt laugh," Worry? You speak of worry! You should have seen your fathers!
"Deet?"
This time it was Hup who called out to her, he stood away from the crowd, it was obvious he came from the direction of Stone-in-the-Wood. He seemed cautious, like he was too afraid to believe it was really her.
"Oh Hup," Deet practically jumped as she saw her friend. "I'm so happy to see you," she grinned. "And look," she knelt down to show Hup the child in her arms.
Hup gasped and looked at Deet, then back down at the baby, then back to Deet. The Podling was star struck by what he believed to be Deet's baby.
"Deet mother?"
Deet giggled," No, silly. I found her all alone."
"Resheealy aliumbumba!," Hup cheered happily.
"I'll need your help, Hup. I've never taken care of a baby Podling."
"Give," Hup extended his arms, taking the baby happily. "Aww," he cooed over the small child. "Ala goindaaep."
At the Crystal Palace:
"Where should I put the bodies? There is already so many?," Skekna complained as he delivered another batch of the Gelfling to Sketek in his lab.
"Who cares?," Skektek ignored the dolling of Skekna.
"Perhaps they'd make good décor," Skekna cackled at the thought. "Or maybe I'll do some experiments on my own..."
"Just secure the Gelfling and be gone," Sketek was sick of looking at the Slave Master.
"LET US GO!," pleaded a small Gelfling.
"Disgusting vermin!," Skekna raised his hook to slash at the girl when an elder Gelfling woman cried out.
"NO! PLEASE! DON'T HURT HER!"
"SILENCE!," Skekna snarled.
"You won't get away with this!"
"That's the best part," Skektek crowed. "We already have!"
Skekna laughed with Skektek as they herded the rest of the Gelfling into their chairs and secured them in their shackles.
"You won't!," the elder Gelfling woman fought against her restraints. "You will lose the power of the crystal!"
"Lose the power of the crystal? You foolish Gelfling, we are the lords of the Crystal! The Crystal listens to only us! It will be the very thing that takes your essence!," Skektek mocked her.
"When the crystal is healed, you will be forgotten!"
"Crystal is healed?," Skekna looked to Skektek. "Gelfling are so stupid!"
"What do you mean?," Skektek took her threat more seriously.
The Gelfling girl gritted her teeth and spat," When the crystal shard is returned you will be lost."
"Liase! Stop!," it was Maudra Mera who tried to silence the elder Gelfling woman.
Skektek leaned back, how could this Gelfling know about the crystal shard? It was lost so long ago, Skektek was struggling to place when he had last seen the shard. Could the shard no longer be lost? What will happen if the Gelfling have found it!
"Go get the Emperor!," Skektek swatted at Skekna.
"He's getting his acupuncture done. I would hate to disrupt him," Skekna's voice was laced with malice and contempt for the Emperor.
"Go now! He will want to know this!"
"You can't stop us! You will lose!," The Gelfling pulled against the latches on her wrists.
"Liase! Enough!," Maudra Mera begged her friend to be silent.
"Maudra, they must know they are doomed" Liase, the elder Gelfling spat at the Skeksis feet. "We no longer bow to your whim!"
"Ahh, to believe we have a Maudra in our midst. How honored we are," Skektek mocked Maudra Mera as he circled her chair.
"Release my clan," Maudra Mera gave no sign of fear as she spoke to the Skeksis. "Release us and perhaps we will show you mercy."
Skektek and Skekna looked at one another, before the pair chortled loudly. It lasted for a few minutes, the Gelfling all sat silently as the Skeksis ridiculed them by belittling what Maudra Mera had said. She had spoken her words with truth, if the Skeksis had perhaps listened, she would have advocated for a kinder solution to the problems between them. Maudra Mera clenched her fists, she saw that this was the end for her and she had only wished she could have saved the rest of her clan.
"Mercy?," Skektek finally got control of himself.
"We should keep her, make her a court jester!," Skekna continued to howl.
"No," Skektek lowered himself to look Maudra Mera directly in the eyes. "I will harvest your essence especially for the Emperor!"
Maudra Mera restrained herself from showing the dread flooding her body. She stared back the the Scientest without blinking, refusing to show any signs of weakness to the scum before her.
"Your fate is already sealed, Skeksis!," Laise broke the intense moment between them. "You will be banished from Thra once the crystal is returned!"
"Even if such a fate exists," Skektek laughed in her face. "You will not live to see it," he turned and pulled the level to lower the crystal into the chamber.
"NO! NO!," the other Gelfling all begged to be let go.
"Goodbye my Maudra!," Liase couln't wipe the tears flowing from her eyes.
The crystal crackled with power as the fuchsia beam descended on to the Gelfling, it dominated their vision and entranced them into compliance. Soon the welps for help dwindled and the needles injected into their necks sucked out the metallic crux known to the Skeksis as essence. Skektek raised the crystal into the chamber, causing the purple light to fade away and all the Gelfling went limp as they had been drained dry of their life force. Maudra Mera was no exception, Skekna went over to where she sat and grunted.
"She's not so powerful now," Skekna flicked Maudra Mera head and it flopped over to the side. "Even their leaders are weak."
"I will go to the Emperor myself," Sketek stormed out of the lab.
"I will take the bodies with me," Skekna let his tongue glide over his wrinkled beak, thinking of all the ways he could use their bodies for his enjoyment.
Skektek tried not to panic at the thought of the telling the Emperor of the crystal shard, how would he explain such a dilemma without punishment? Skektek collected himself and he passed the steam spa, he was getting close to the acupuncture suite where the Emperor was receiving his daily treatment. He took a deep breath and entered the room swiftly.
"Emperor," he called he attention of his leader.
Skekso was laying face down on a cushioned cart, there was a Podling attendant standing on a small ladder beside him, holding a small needle in his hands. The Podling looked frightened by the intrusion and froze as Skektek interrupted.
"Be gone," the Emperor did not raise his head.
"This is urgent, your eminence," Sketek groveled to avoid penalty.
The Emperor grunted, he was in no mood to be heckled by his subordinates. He needed his daily treatment to be able to walk without severe agitation, his back was getting weak and his legs sometimes buckled under his own weight, his staff proved very handy in those moments.
"Leave me!," he bellowed to Skektek.
"Sire, please... Gelfling have just told me of a crystal shard."
Crystal shard? What use to the Emperor was a crystal shard.
"Be gone!"
"This crystal shard could be the very same which was lost hundreds of trines ago."
The Emperor was growing impatient with the Scientist, he had tried to be nice but it did not work. He wanted to lift his head and shout for the Scientist to leave or face severe punishment for his insubordination yet the Emperor lacked the strength.
"What use is this shard? What significance is it to me?"
"The day of our creation," the Scientist inched closer to where the Emperor lay. "When we were split from the useless others who have grown to fear us. The crystal was cracked on that day, sire. The shard has been lost ever since."
"Why do the Gelfling care?"
"Gelfling believe that if they replace the shard it will cause Skeksis to lose power."
The Emperor was no longer filled with fatigue, his head shot up and he glared at the Scientist," Is such a thing possible?"
"Uhh...," Skektek stumbled backwards. "I am unsure, Emperor. I came to tell you as soon as I heard."
"The crystal must not be changed," the Emperor seethed. If the Crystal was healed he could lose the power of the Darkening, he felt he was close to learning how to harness it against the Gelfling. The Emperor had just come from his secret cave in the catacombs where he was absorbing the Darkening in small pieces, which is why he needed his acupuncture done so badly. If he lost that power, he would grow weak and possible die, he needed essence.
"I need essence," he demanded.
"Yes, sire, of course. But the crystal shard?"
"We will confuse them, Gelfling are mindless creatures to be used only for their essence. Think of something and do it fast! Take the essence to my chambers," the Emperor grunted laying back on the cart. "Podling!," he barked, causing the attendant to flinch before placing a new needle in the Emperor's leg.
"Yes, Emperor. Right away!," Skektek left the room and let out a sigh of relief, he had managed to give the Emperor bad news and still had both hands. He shuddered at the thought of being anything similar to Skekna, who was only given the task to manage slaves. Skekna was truly one of the most vulgar of them all and Skektek hated having to work so closely with him.
In the Northern Mountains- Ha'rar:
"We've searched the library All-Maudra, Princess Brea is not there," the Paladin Seladon had sent to search for her sister bowed his head with unfortunate news.
"You're sure that you searched everywhere? The library? Her room?"
"Yes, All-Maudra."
"Thank you," she dismissed the paladin to be alone in the throne room. Seladon paced in front of the new majestic chair that had been built for her reign as the All-Maudra. The throne room had been repaired quickly by the stoneworkers of Ha'rar as a sign of respect for her and her claim to the crown. She appreciated the support of her people but she rarely sat in the chair, it made her think of her mother and she was still overwhelmed with guilt about her death.
Where has Brea run off to? Why did she not tell anyone where she went? Seladon fidgeted with the crown on her head, she needed her sister by her side to help her with the duties of the All-Maudra. Not only that, but Seladon wanted Brea to be beside her side so she was always protected.
There was a knock on the door, Seladon straightened her back and fixed her crown once more. "Come in."
A paladin entered," All-Maudra, I bring news from Maudra Yre."
"Yes, please," Seladon finally sat in her throne, it felt stiff and uncomfortable.
The paladin opened the letter," Maudra Yre says there has been attack on the Spriton clan, only a few members survived. They are unsure who lead the attack but most of the clan members are still missing and the lands have been burned."
"The clan is missing? What does that mean?"
"The letter only states that there was an attack, clan members are missing and the land has been burned. She is making a request to lead a charge on the Crystal Castle, believing that the Spriton clan have been taken by the Skeksis."
"How could this be?," Seladon fought to keep her composure.
"Maudra Yre doesn't say."
The Skeksis have managed to take an entire clan? How is that possible, Seladon was deep in thought. The lands have been burned, what will become of the colder months? Will there be enough food to distribute through the clans? Where is Maudra Mera?
"Does is say anything about Maudra Mera?"
The paladin searched the letter," No, All-Maudra."
She must be one of the missing, Seladon dreaded the idea of losing another maudra in such dire times. Could the Skeksis really have taken them all? Maudra Mera may still be alive.
"Yes," Seladon announced quickly. "Send all available soldiers to Stone-in-the-Wood at once."
"Yes, All-Maudra," the paladin turned to leave.
"And find my sister," she added, the unease of her missing sister was growing by the second. What is Brea had been taken by the Skeksis also? Seladon needed to find her so she could think straight about what to do next. Her mind was crippled by the anxiety of what could happening to Brea at this very moment. Brea, where are you?
"Yes, All-Maudra, right away!"
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