At Stone-in-the-Wood:

The three suns were high in the sky on Thra and general anxiousness was buzzing at Stone-in-the-Wood. Maudra Yre elected to not give a big speech on comradery and the meaning of this battle, or what it will mean if they fail. She could sense that this was well understood among the soldiers, they had all been horrified by the events at Sami Thicket and it dawned on the whole race the malice and contempt the Skeksis had for the Gelfling. This fight was crucial to their very survival. The troops began to march out of Stone-in-the-Wood, headed for the Crystal Castle, Maudra Yre rode a Landstrider, leading the army with her head held high. She had to be a emblem of hope for her clan and for the troops, she could show no weakness as they stormed the castle. She had to be more cunning and more courageous than all of the Skeksis, which in her mind wasn't too hard, but she knew that tough choices lay ahead for her. She felt a pit in her stomach as she reached the end of the Endless Forest and looked upon the stain of Thra, the darkened Crystal Castle.

"We stick to our position," she called out to the soldiers behind her. She hoped this plan would work and they would be able to liberate any living Spritons trapped inside the castle walls.

She kicked the side of the Landstrider, and it gracefully entered the flat barren land surrounding the castle. She made no attempt to conceal herself, she wanted the Skeksis to see her coming, to panic. She wanted them to scurry like rats, afraid of their future and of the storm that the Gelflings were going to rain on them. Maudra Yre turned to her left, Rian was there, looking forward, his eyes blazing.

Rian was also ready, he was ready to avenge the deaths of everyone he loved, he wanted nothing more than to be free of the Skeksis once and for all. He wanted his life to not be shrouded with worry and fear but something happy and hopeful. Rian saw the faces of all those he had lost, of Mira and his father, the grip on the dual glaive's hilt tightened. He vowed to never let another innocent living creature on this planet suffer at the hands of the Skeksis.

He thought of his friends: Gurjin, who was walking behind him and was always there for him, no matter the circumstances. Even in the castle when he and Mira would rope Gurjin into trouble, he would always oblige. Gurjin was the best friend he could ever ask for, someone loyal and brave. Even if Mother Aughra did not call him that, Rian knew it to be true, Gurjin was just as brave as he was. Gurjin believed him, he was his first ally against the Skeksis and Rian was grateful for everything Gurjin had done up to this moment. Rian then thought about Kylan, he was off in Ha'rar getting the crystal shard. He had always been kind and helpful, he was a true fighter and Rian was mixed about him not being here. He was not sure if Kylan had heard the news about the Sami Thicket, but he knew that Kylan would want to be here. Kylan wanted to fight the Skeksis and try to save his clan members, he would want to fight for his Maudra. And Brea, so fierce and curious, she was an ally he could depend on and was glad to have her on his side. If anyone was going to find a way to outsmart the Skeksis, it was Brea and her books, she would be the one to find their true weakness and exploit it.

Then he thought of Deet. Deet was at Stone-in-the-Wood, she was moving her clan to a new home, somewhere safe and far from the Crystal Castle. Her kind face and tender brown eyes filled his head, the scent of the moss clouded his mind. In that moment, he missed her; he had seen her only hours ago, but he missed her dearly. Dark thoughts then filled his head, what if he never saw her again? His body felt rigid as the thought replayed in his head. Was that the last time he would ever see Deet? Her beloved smile and twinkling gaze, his heart skipped at beat with her in his memory. He wanted to tell her everything, but he knew that she was bashful and every time he approached the subject, she withdrew from him. Rian decided as he marched to the castle, getting closer and closer with every step, that if he survived this and saw Deet again he wouldn't hide his true feelings. He had been running from it for some time, he hated that it made her so uncomfortable and if she refused him, he would never speak of it again.

He knew he would have to tell her, the ache in his heart when he thought about her was too much to burden in silence. He would see her again, he had to because he couldn't believe that he would die without telling her.

The castle drew near, Maudra Yre held up her fist, it was the signal to halt walking. The army all looked around, silence rang out in the sunny lot and some members nervously looked around. Why had the Skeksis not come to face them? It was daylight, the Skeksis had to be awake and had to have seen them, there were 200 Gelfling marching up to the castle with weapons! Heat was pouring onto the open field, Gelfling were sweating through their armor as they waited for the command of Maudra Yre.

Maudra Yre stroked the rough fuzz of the Landstrider, trying to sooth her own nerves. She did not like this, there was an eerie motionlessness surrounding them. As she craned her head to listen, for anything, even the chirp of a distant bird, she hears Heyah speak.

"Maudra Yre?"

"They should have shown themselves by now," Maudra Yre whispered.

"We should advance," Heyah leaned closer to Maudra Yre.

"Mayeb we should-," Rian tried to interject but Heyah stopped him.

"If we stay here, we are vulnerable! They could attack us from any angle, we are just sitting in the open!"

Maudra Yre nodded, she didn't want to stall, but she was conflicted on what the next move should be. If the Skeksis had not seen them yet, maybe she could use it to her advantage, charge the castle and dispose of them without even a warning. Could it really be that simple?

"First battalion-Advance!," Maudra Yre kicked her Landstrider.

Rian turned to Gurjin who shook his head as they continued to march onward. The first battalion was the first 20 Gelfling of the army, they were the highest trained fighters or had specialty training. Most of the first battalion were Stonewood clan, but there were exceptions like Gurjin and others who were previously castle guards or paladins. Why would the Skeksis let them come in, it didn't make sense. Rian crossed the bridge into the castle, the gate was drawn but Heyah and he opened it without any issues. Could it be this easy?

"Fan out!," Maudra Yre called out as they entered the circle foyer of the castle.

The army began to fill the room when the Emperor appeared on the second floor, he was looking down at them over the banister. All the Gelfling froze at the sight of a Skeksis, they had long anticipated this moment, the moment when the first strike would happen. Everyone raised their weapons, preparing for an ambush of the Skeksis.

"Skekso!," Maudra Yre's voice echoed off the walls as she raised her fist for the soldiers to stop.

"You dare address me by that name," The Emperor snarled.

"You are no Emperor of ours," Maudra Yre's eyes blazed with fury. "Release the Spriton Gelfling!"

"Hahaha!"

Skeksil and Skekung came to the Emperor's side laughing at the Gelfling below them. The room began to echo with the sounds of laughter as the rest of the Skeksis appeared on the second-floor balcony. The Gelfling twirled to see them all, they surrounded them from above, but Maudra Yre had no fear. She still had over 100 soldiers outside the gates, waiting for her command to swarm. She still had the upper hand against the Skeksis and she would use it to her advantage.

"I say again- release the Spritons!"

"What brainless ugly dullards" Skekok cackled as the Skeksis continued to laugh at the demands of Maudra Yre.

The Emperor couldn't help himself; he had to laugh at the ridiculous demands of the lead Gelfling. How stupid could they be? They walked into this and now they make demands? It was ludicrous and he couldn't wait to demolish them all. They looked so pitiful looking up to them with their feeble weapons and reused armor, the Gelfling stood no chance against the Garthim. He searched the room for the face that haunted him, but he saw no sign of the daunting Gelfling girl who had powers matched to his own. Perhaps the Gelfling were being smart and keeping her hidden until the right moment, for the time being he would not use the Darkening.

"You're too foolish to see that they are already dead!"

"So, you admit to taking them!"

"Who else would want such purposeless animals!," Skekna spat.

"Only good for one thing!," Skekect chirped.

"Essence!," Skektek slapped the railing with excitement.

"You bring this on yourselves," Maudra Yre raised her sword. In that instant she really did have no fear of the Skeksis, she glared past the glimmer of her sword up to where they stood. Cowards! They stole the Spritons for nothing but their own greed. they would all pay with their lives! She would slay the Emperor herself!

The Emperor was tired of talk, he wanted action.

"GARTHIM!," he barked, raising his arms as he summoned his great army.

Garthim? Rian looked over his shoulder, Gurjin was also searching for something. What was Garthim? Was it the Darkening again? What were these sneaky Skeksis up to?! It was then that Rian caught his first glimpse of the Garthim, he saw they eyes first. Many pairs of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the dark halls of the castle and when they stepped into the light many Gelfling raised their weapons. Black beetle like animals walked into the foyer, blocking all entrances to advance further into the castle. They were tall and round with sizeable claws that could surely break a stump in two.

Rian swallowed the lump in his throat, this was a Garthim.

"These have to be the beasts the Spritons described," he said to himself only as he stared at the approaching figures.

"GARTHIM ATTACK!," The Emperor shouted.

The once slow Garthim, suddenly sprung forward, quickly encircling the first battalion.

"ATTACK!," Maudra Yre kicked her Landstrider which reared on it's back legs before running at the Garthim.

So it begins, The Emperor thought as he leaned over the railing to watch the mayhem unfold.

In the Crystal Palace-Library:

Kylan, Naia, and Brea had been hunting for nearly a full day through the library for Brea's book. They had taken shifts to sleep and the ones who stayed awake kept looking for a clue to find information on the Sanctuary Tree. Lucky for the trio, Kylan always came prepared and brought snacks, but Brea was still frustrated on how slow thier progress was. How much longer would they have to look? What floor of the never-ending library would she finally find answers? Naia was also on edge, but this was because she wanted to move on and find the Crystal, not spend eternity looking for a book. Naia was only thankful that they had not been spotted by the Skeksis, it seemed the library was an oasis of seclusion and not even the unnatural monsters roaming the castle halls visited.

"Brea?," Naia was floating in the air, stroking the spine of the books she was inspecting. " How much longer do you think we should stay here?"

Brea huffed; she knew this question was coming. They had been searching all night and already Naia was ready to move on and give up on Deet.

"As long as it takes."

"Brea, we can't stay here forever," Kylan whined.

"If you two want, you can go and find the Crystal, I'll stay here."

Naia gritted her teeth," We are not splitting up."

"If we leave now, we may never make it back. I can't just give up on Deet... not after what she did for us."

"I'm not saying we should give up on Deet," Naia landed and crossed her arms.

"What are you saying then?," Brea turned to face her, a tension started to build before Kylan stepped between them.

"Come on guys, we can't let this place get to us. I'm sure the Skeksis have some weird trance on this place, being here too long will make us like them."

Both Naia and Brea stared at Kylan before laughing, he was ridiculous sometimes., how could Gelfling be anything like Skeksis? Kylan wasn't trying to make a joke, but he went along with it because it seemed to make the mood lighter.

"What even is this stuff?," Naia read the cover of a old book," Trines of Apothecary Practice... this stuff seems useless," she put the book back.

"It's science," Brea educated her. "Many people still practice it today in different forms, making medicine and such, probably why Skekok put it here."

Saying these words, something clicked in Brea's mind. The library had to be organized by usefulness to the Skeksis, which was why recipe books and Skeksis history were on the first floor. Brea sat her book down and went to the large, carpeted staircase that spiraled up the library. She looked up for the top, but it seemed too far to walk, it would take too much time they had already wasted.

"We have to go to the top," Brea turned to the others. "It has to be up on the top floor."

"Why would it be all the way up there," Kylan came to her side and looked up. His balance shifted and he gripped the railing for stability before toppling over the side," Woah!"

"Shh," Naia scolded him. "Remember us being here is a secret."

"I almost fell," Kylan pouted.

"Come on, Kylan," Brea was buzzing with energy as she wrapped her arms under Kylan's and lifted him off the ground.

"YIHH!," Kylan yelped and tensed into a ball as Brea carried him away from the floor.

Naia sighed, expanded her wings, and flew after them. It didn't take long to reach the top level, but as they went higher, the room got darker and more ominous. Once they reached the ceiling, Brea dropped Kylan on his feet, sending dust everywhere.

Brea coughed, fanning the dirty air away as Kylan jumped away from her, his feet scuffing up more piles of dust from the thick layer residing on the floor. It was obvious that no one, not even Skekok had visited this part of the library in many trines.

"Never do that again," Kylan let out a gasp, he had been holding his breath on the entire way up.

Naia landed beside them," Better than walking up those steps."

They looked around, the top level of the library, it was dismal and dim, a large skylight was above them but it was so dirty that it barely let in any sun. The grime was palpable in the air, every surface they could see was covered with inches of filth. Brea was upset to see that the Skeksis had let this place rot away with no regard to the knowledge these books were holding.

"The Skeksis would put information they didn't care about as far from them as possible," Brea gave her thoughts on why she had brought them up here.

"And the certainly don't care about Thra," Kylan wiped the dust off his shoulders.

"Which is why I think it has to be here," Brea turned to the cracked wooden shelves.

The trio split up without a word and Brea felt like she had to tip toe through the dense silence that echoed off the slanted walls. The powder was so thick on the floor that she was leaving footprints behind her. The top level was more condensed than the first floors, it was almost like a cramped attic. The shelves were shorter and there was barely any space between them. This part of the library looked nothing like the rest, she could see where it ended, and it was lacking the same beauty and wonder that the rest of the library had.

As they searched the compact rows of books, Naia begged Thra they would finally find what they needed. If they were discovered here, there was no way out, the Skeksis would imprison them and drain them of their essence. It had to be the most deplorable death that Naia could imagine, to have your soul slowly ripped away from you to then be consumed by those selfish lizards! She would rather throw herself on a cluster of Gobbles than be taken alive by the Skeksis.

"Pst! Over here," Kylan whispered, getting the attention of the girls. He had found a book that was labeled 'Patron Trees'.

"Good work, Kylan," Brea cheered happily, but as she flipped through the pages her smile faded. "There's nothing in here about the Sanctuary Tree, only the Patron trees."

"But it might be nearby," Naia shimmed into the tight space and tried to read the book titles. "Ugh," she scowled. "This is disgusting!"

"Here," Brea squeezed past her and started to rub the soot off the book's spines. She read the titles in her head: 'Healing plants and herbs', 'The deadly plants of Skarith', 'Where to grow Peachberries', 'The Arara tree'.

"It has to be here," she muttered to herself.

"Do you hear that?," Naia turned towards the stairs.

"Hear what?," Kylan followed her gaze.

"The distant sound... like screaming?"

"I don't hear anything," Brea said as she went back to scour the shelves.

"Who would be screaming in the castle?," Kylan wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure," Naia couldn't shake the prick on the nape of her neck. "Brea if we-..."

"THERE!," Brea shouted, jumping into the air to grab a dark book shielded by dust. As she pulled it from its place, dirt rained down on Brea, she backed up, hitting her back on the next shelf and was gasping for clean air. Brea ran from the stack and out into the space where Kylan and Naia were waiting. She dropped the book, still choking on the polluted air.

"Oh Aughra...," Kylan softly gasped.

The book Brea had found was huge, thicker than most they had seen. Naia bent over and wiped the cover, reveling a dark blue leather with a white emblem imprinted on the front. It was a white tree and beneath it lay the title in worn scratchy letters: 'The Sanctuary Tree'.

"You found it," Naia gaped.

Brea rubbed her eyes free of dust before joining Naia's side," It's really here..."

"Wait...," Kylan looked over his shoulder. "I hear it now... screaming."

"Come on," Naia stood up," We have to go."

Brea clutched the large book to her chest; it was heavy and awkward to carry but she wasn't leaving the castle without this book.

"Here," Kylan reached into his bag and retrieved some twine, he carefully wrapped the book and fashioned some straps so Brea could carry it on her back.

"Thanks, Kylan."

"Great," Naia stepped up onto the railing, "Let's go," she said before stepping off and falling through the air.

The Spriton Plains:

"It feels wrong to walk away, Hup," Deet unintentionally looked over her shoulder again. They had left the Endless Forest and she was leading them south towards the Dying sun, but she had been careful to avoid Sami Thicket. That place wreaked of death and pain; she did not want any of her family to see what the Skeksis were capable of doing. She saw the trees in the distance, beyond the woods was the castle where Rian was already fighting the Skeksis.

"Deet doing right," Hup comforted her.

"Is it right to make my friends face the Skeksis alone?"

"Rian strong. Skeksis weak."

Deet sighed, turning away from the castle, it felt wrong to her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had made a mistake to leave Stone-in-the-Wood, to leave others to fight the Skeksis when she was perfectly capable of helping.

"Deethra?," Lath'N put his arm around Deet's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Father... I should be at the castle. I should be fighting the Skeksis!"

"Deethra," Lath'N clicked his tongue. "I know how you feel."

"Really?"

"Of course, my child. Knowing that your dad is there, while I stay here with the elders and children...," he cleared his throat. "It almost feels like I have abandoned him."

"No, father. You haven't!"

Lath'N smiled down at his daughter," You grow wiser every day. Have you grown too clever to listen to your own mind? You are doing what needs to be done, we will need a home after the Gelfling army returns victorious."

Deet smiled," You're right."

Lath'N walked with his daughter as she guided the Grottons past the many fields of Spritons and further into the desolate dryness of the southern Skarith. The pace was slow, Maudra Argot was doing her best to keep up but she and the other elders couldn't walk as fast. Deet on the other hand was eager, she wanted to sprint ahead and deliver them all safely so she could turn and fly back to the Crystal Castle.

"Deet still worry?," Hup asked.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Aminya is safe."

Hup meant the Podling baby, Hup had safely taken her to his own Podling village. His village was accepting of her and said they would keep her safe and raise her as if she was their own. Hup told Deet that the village had named her Aminya, which meant "angel" because she had been so blessed to survive the attack. Deet thought the name was pretty and it would suit her as she grew up, Deet had been sad on the other hand to give her away. Aminya was her first sign of life after coming back from the Darkening, she had given Deet hope that she wasn't alone. Deet knew she wouldn't have been able to raise a child, especially a Podling and especially since she was part of a war between the Gelfling and the Skeksis. It wouldn't have been fair to drag such a baby into her own problems, but she had grown attached to Aminya and it struck a rare chord inside her to give her away. She needs to grow up with her own kind, Deet tried to convince herself. She will be happy and safe there.

"Yes, Aminya is safe," Deet nodded.

The day had drawn on, it was getting dark quickly and they still had a way to go. Maudra Argot insisted they keep going, that there was no reason to stop until they got to where they were going. As they got further south, Deet started to feel a familiar tingle in her fingers, similar to what she had felt that day when she had discovered this place.

"We're getting close!," Deet announced.

Some of the elders were carrying torches to help light the way, while others were carrying the children who had grown too tired to walk a step further. The group were noticeably excited despite the exhaustion, the idea of a perfect home was too enthralling to all the Grottons after being in the caves for most of their lives. A place to live in the sun seemed unreal after being in shadows, would they be able to live like the other clans?

Deet saw the cliff, where she had fallen before and ran ahead, Hup tried to keep up, but his legs were too short. She reached the rocky edge and below she saw nothing but a cold pit, it was now too dark to see with her eyes only. She grumbled impatiently, being above ground so long had tainted her low light vision. Hup caught up to her and offered her his torch, she took and climbed down the rocks into the cavern.

"Deet!," her father called out to her as her silhouette disappeared.

Deet reached the bottom easily and there she saw the stone etching she had created just days ago. She held the flickering fire up to the creation; it looked exactly the same. A small part of Deet had wondered if it would be gone, that somehow the Darkening would erase this so that is never happened.

"Deet?"

She turned to look up, her clan was now gathering around the rim.

"Welcome home," she smiled up to them.

Lath'N and Hup discovered a sharp slope of dirt a few leagues away, which was safer to transport the children and many of the elders. One down on the lower level, the land spanned far, giving plenty of space to make homes and a community.

"This dirt is very dusty," Maudra Argot coughed as she sat down with a thump on a broken tree stump.

"Look up Maudra," Bobb'N had awaken and was staring at the sky.

The land was dark beside the dim light of their torches, but that was nothing compared to the endless sky of sparking stars. They stretched on forever, dancing in the jet-black sky, it was nothing like Deet had ever seen.

"It's glow moss, Maudra," Bobb'N reached his hand to touch it.

Maudra Argot chuckled lightly," My child, these are stars, and we cannot reach them, at least not yet."

"Do you think we could reach them one day?," Deet asked her.

"There was a time I never thought I'd leave the sun, then I lived below vowing to not come back. Now here I am living in the sun again... Never saw this one coming," she laughed. "We will never know what is to come."

Deet smiled to herself," We were Darkcrawlers."

"Huh?," Maudra Argot raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing... Do you know what this is, Maudra Argot," Deet sat beside Maudra Argot and looked at the stone. "Can you tell me what it all means?"

Maudra Argot shrugged," This is something I cannot speak on, because I don't have the knowledge."

"Who do you think would know what this is?"

"It looks to me like the Old language, not many Gelfling alive remember it."

"Do you know how to read it, Maudra Argot?"

"Me?," she laughed. "I'm not that old, child," she then turned to Deet. "Do you plan to leave at morning light?"

Deet sighed," I want to go, but maybe I need to be here," she considered her father's words and what Rian had said before he left. "Maybe I'm needed here."