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Chapter 11: Moral Bankruptcy

The massive airborne galleon soared silently over the surface of Sauria, completely enshrouded by the cloak of night. The few Sharpclaw crewmembers upon its deck took up a silent watch, ensuring none approached without being fired upon. The immense magical energies that powered the Sharpclaw vessel also provided more than ample defense... even a Cornerian or Venom starfighter would have trouble attacking it.

General Scales felt safe enough within the confines of his airborne fortress... although that was compounded by the fact he had the various Saurian tribes pretty much under his claws. There were, however, a few loose ends that needed to be cut; hopefully before they became more of a thorn in his side. He glanced at the other occupant of the sparsely-finished dining hall; his 'second in command', so to speak.

Talon was his name; a hulking Sharpclaw brute that was nearly a match for Scales himself. Unlike Scales, Talon had a measure of self-restraint that held his own cruel machinations in check... and he was about the only living being on Sauria that could actually get away with chiding his General. "We would not be having this conversation if you were able to keep your temper in check, my lord. We would have had the Cerinian in our grasp, and we would have killed her alien protector with little fuss."

The criticism almost called Scales to snarl... had it been a simple underling saying that in his presence, their blood would have stained his blades within seconds. Even though it was Talon saying this, it still elicited a glare towards the slightly smaller Sharpclaw. "I did not need her alive for long, Talon. Had that meddlesome furless monkey not shown up, our plans would have gone through."

"That 'furless monkey,' as you call it, has been terrorizing our troops for weeks." Talon shot back. "We aren't even sure if there is only one of them out there. The most recent report placed it on Ice Mountain, where it actually managed to free Garunda Te. It may have been killed in the process, but that does not mean we can keep our eggs unguarded, so to speak."

"Ice Mountain?" Scales used his good hand to scratch at his snout. "They have a way to get around, then." The fist was then slammed upon the sturdy oak table, making it quiver. "I want these alien bastard, or bastards found... and brought to me. Alive if you can... I want to hear them regret the day they decided to meddle in my business!"

"And if they're dead?" Talon chuckled, resting a scaly hand on the hilt of the gigantic scimitar lashed upon his waist.

"Then I will feed their bodies to the Redeye King, or perhaps Drakor himself!"

*---------------------*

Krystal let a sigh escape into the night air as she surveyed the Hollow. After having spent the better part of two days stuffed away inside the Queen's chambers, she was eager to get out... in no small part due to Brian's attitude. The vixen strode along the bank of the creek that neatly bisected the tiny valley, making sure to keep away from the few Thorntails that were peacefully sleeping. "Why are you doing this?" she muttered, recalling her friend's bitter words. 'You're the one making the big deal about it. Don't bring Erica up to me again. Okay?'

"At least you might have the chance of seeing her again, you ungrateful..." Krystal growled as she reached one of the large trees that stood beside the creek. As she leaned up against it she cast her gaze down to the water... her reflection staring back at her in the moonlight. She had been run ragged ever since she had begun her Trials... she didn't even have time to really rest and celebrate becoming a Guardian. Instead, she lost everything. Her homeworld, her family... everyone she knew was dead, and she was stranded here. What a Guardian she turned out to be; she failed the very people she was supposed to protect. And here she was, stranded on this planet with only the Saurians that needed her help and a bitter, angry alien to keep her company.

Her reflection looked almost alien to her; festooned in the military clothing from Brian's homeworld as well as his weaponry. Krystal had armed herself as best she could as she left, swiping his knife and blaster pistol from the entrance of the cave. The constant threat of another Sharpclaw attack kept everyone on edge, and it just wouldn't do to remain unarmed. Still, the Cerinian staring back at her just didn't match up. Her fur was unkempt; her eyes bloodshot from lack of decent sleep. She hadn't even mentioned to Brian that she had stayed up for nearly two days keeping vigil over him; hoping that he would awaken on his own. She had even ignored the Queen Earthwalker's admonishments to rest... even though she knew her own wounds needed tending to.

Even through all that, she was repaid with scorn. Only the thought that both of them had been through much stress kept her from being too angry. Krystal was a little more worried than she was angry; while Brian kept the outward appearance that his bitterness was manageable... she knew that the memories of his former lifemate threatened to tear him apart. It pained her, but if he was unwilling to talk about it there wasn't anything she could do. Because of that she would have to keep her eyes open and ears perked to make sure he didn't jeopardize their lives through a rash action.

Even then, the vixen knew she needed to focus more on her own well-being. Brian would more than likely be recovering for a few days; he did in fact have a fractured skull as well as a few broken ribs. That meant it would be wise to stay away and let him recover... as well as get some rest of her own at the same time. She glanced over toward his vehicle; sitting in a clear spot near the entrance to the cavern. She would sleep there, but not before getting cleaned up and well-fed... in that order.

The Cerinian pushed away from the tree, noting the waterfall that ran below the Warpstone's personal grotto. There seemed to be a natural cavern behind it... a perfect place for some privacy and a defensible position. She offered a soft smile as to her fortune, managing to duck behind the rushing water while keeping her clothing mostly dry.

The residual water from the falls had made a decently sized pool within the cavern. Waiting for her eyes to adjust to the near-darkness, she slipped out of the alien clothing. Krystal then gingerly peeled the bandage from her side, noting with a little concern that she was still bleeding a little bit. Even that discomfort wasn't enough to dissuade her from cleaning off... and taking a swim while she was at it.

Swimming was one of Krystal's favorite pastimes; her family home had a small lake upon its property. She spent hours training for her Trials there, and she equated taking a swim to being free of all the troubles she had to deal with... if only for a few moments. The small pool was nowhere near the size of the lake that Brian had stopped next to after their first encounter, but it was large enough to move around in. The vixen darted underwater and launched for the opposite side; coming up in a spray of water and blue fur. The two gashes upon her side flared with pain for a brief instant, but then settled down to a dull ache... a very good sign that they were healing well enough.

She reached down and grasped a handful of sand. In lieu of actual soap, the sand would help get the flaked, matted mass of dried blood out of her fur. Krystal worked on her paws first, noting with satisfaction that the rust-colored blood... she couldn't tell if it was Brian's or her own; possibly a mixture... was coming out rather easily when coaxed by the abrasive sand. She concentrated on her side afterwards, albeit gently... she didn't want to work any of the sand into her wounds. Working cautiously, she managed to get the worst of it out of her fur.

A flash of light off to her left startled her, and one of her paws grabbed at the knife she had taken from Brian. She was loathe to use his blaster pistol in an enclosed space; her earlier experience taught her that they were extremely loud. Taking a deep breath, the vixen's eyes found the source of the brief flash... down a passageway her eyes could just barely make out. She mentally chided herself... she was in an extremely vulnerable position and hadn't even thought of the possibility there might be someone or something out there.

Clenching the knife in her paw, Krystal silently pulled herself out of the water. Her other paw grabbed at her clothing, or at least her ceremonial top and the pair of cut-off pants she had found among the human garb... which accounted for her undergarments. She didn't like the feeling of soaked clothing against her fur, but it was either that or be completely naked. After taking a deep breath, the vixen slowly strode down the passage... keeping the heavy blade ready for any sudden attack.

The passageway started wandering upwards as she made her way down it, her senses stretched to the limit... ensuring that she would not be caught off-guard in the dark. There were no thought patterns within the range of her abilities, at least. The vixen emerged into a small chamber and located the source of the glow... several spherical balls, each one swirling with some sort of energy. Arcs of blue lightning crossed between spheres occasionally, and her mind puzzled over what they were.

A grin lit her face as she remembered Maloc bringing one into their home so long ago... they were starship fuel cells! They now had fuel to get her shuttle off the ground.... and they would definitely need them in order to travel to the separated chunks of Sauria. At least something was going their way. The fuel cells were likely left behind by the Sharpclaw, in preparation of some mission or another. It did not matter, for they were in her paws, now. She just now needed something to carry them in. An idea crossed her mind and she rushed back down the passage.

Krystal snatched up the human soldier clothing she had been using... she would simply wrap the fuel cells in the jacket to create a makeshift bag. She pulled on the pants, shuddering at the feeling of the cloth meeting her soaked fur... it was also difficult getting her tail through the hole she cut out for it. Afterwards she buckled Brian's pistol belt back on, adding to the discomfort. The weight of his weapon and its ammunition threw her balance off, but it also allowed her to place his knife back where it belonged.

A few minutes later the Cerinian emerged from the waterfall, exhausted but with her BDU shirt stuffed full of fuel cells. Her silent stride carried her toward Brian's vehicle without waking the several Thorntail she had to pass. A tired smile played across her muzzle... as long as her shuttle was spaceworthy they would be able to obtain the Spellstone.

She reached the military vehicle as quickly as she could, placing the fuel cells gently inside the cargo compartment. As she extracted a blanket to attempt to dry out some of her sodden fur, a large shadow appeared behind her. She startled as a gentle voice spoke up... using Saurian. "You're up very late, Cerinian. Are you recovering well?"

Krystal turned around to see Garunda Te's shadowed form standing behind her..for a large Snowhorn, he was eerily silent. She had assumed that he had returned to Ice Mountain "I am, thank you. But... how did you know I was Cerinian?"She was quite surprised... none of her kind had ever left their planet until Venom had struck... for all she knew she was the only one left alive. She tried to shake away the pang of grief that ensnared her thoughts, and was thankfully interrupted by the Snowhorn's response.

"Your kind came to Sauria several generations ago and helped us resolve another crisis... Cerinians created a safe place for the Spellstones, and also helped create the Krazoa Palace... where the revered Spirits could reside instead of be scattered across this world. We owe your kind a great debt." Garunda Te glanced at her. "I'm surprised you do not know of this."

"Are you sure?" Krystal glanced up at the large Snowhorn with a quizzical expression. "We never had any spacecraft until about fifty years ago... when the first Lylat traders came. Even then, the Council ruled that no Cerinian was to explore the stars... at least until we learned more about what was out there." Her paw went up to run through the damp fur of her cheek... there was no reason for him to lie to her, but that was impossible.

"They traveled here through the Warpstone, Child. The legends tell us some of your kind had the power to pull themselves through great distances using their abilities... this is rare for a Cerinian?" Garunda took a step back, looking around to make sure he hadn't awakened any of the nearby Thorntail. He wanted to keep it a private conversation. "The legends also spoke of another... another Cerinian that would deliver Sauria from certain destruction. I am certain you are the one."

The vixen blinked at him, not exactly sure how to handle the revelation which had been placed in her lap. Had Cerinians been able to travel off her world, long ago? The Art of Transference was almost as rare as her channeling abilities... but even then those who could use it were only able to 'teleport' short distances... not across the vast distances of space. Even though her mind was brimming with questions she knew the Snowhorn couldn't answer... they had a task to accomplish. "What do we need to do next?" she asked.

Garunda Te nodded at her, a sad expression overcoming his features. "I am a Gatekeeper... one of four of us who are charged with protecting the Spellstones. General Scales came to me and demanded that I give him the Spellstone... or he would kill every Snowhorn he got his claws on... the bastard." His voice darkened. "I told him no... the safety of the planet is far more valuable than even our lives. Without the Spellstones, the entire planet will fall apart."

Krystal cringed, looking up at him. "They... killed your people?" The mention of Scales' deed brought memories of Cerinia as if they were a dagger plunging into her heart. The sight of her mother collapsing into her arms filled her vision, causing tears to fill her eyes. "I... don't know what to say..."

"It's alright, lass." The Snowhorn replied, although he almost cringed at the sight of the sobbing Cerinian. Something had definitely happened to her, but now wasn't the time to confront her demons... not with the Spellstone in Scales' grasp. "Scales hasn't harmed my people, at least yet. It was worse than that. My own daughter, Belina Te... she betrayed me."

This caused Krystal to look up, blinking past her tears. "She... betrayed you?" Something about that didn't sound... right. "Why would she do such a thing?"

"Belina thought it would be better if we surrendered; she wasn't willing to make a stand against those vile Sharpclaw." Garunda muttered under his breath for a moment before explaining. "She gave them the Spellstone. To their credit, they did not slaughter us. They enslaved us in the Darkice Mines."

The Cerinian winced... his tribe was alive, but for how long? She had firsthand witnessed the brutality of the Sharpclaw... something that Brian had saved her from, whether or not he realized it. To be enslaved by those evil enough to follow the Way of Jalat caused mental images to pop into her mind; foul and violent enough for her to shudder. "I'll... I will free your people, honored one. I will return with the Spellstone, even if my ally doesn't come with me. Tell me how to get there, and I will do it... somehow."

"It won't be so simple. The Darkice Mines are one section of our world that has broken off due to the theft of the Spellstones." The Snowhorn sighed, looking her straight in the eye. "Unless you have a vehicle capable of going into space... you won't be able to get there. The Sharpclaw have a few, so I imagine you could take one over... if you could catch it on the ground."

"My shuttle might work." Krystal smiled, slightly. "I know it's damaged, but it might still fly. I don't have much of an idea how to fly it, but... I'll learn." The vixen nodded and glanced over toward the cavern that the Queen had let them use. She would need Brian's help in order to obtain the Spellstone... but would he be willing to go any farther? His mind was clouded with thoughts of his former mate, which he was trying to hide underneath a mask of indifference. To her, it was odd... Cerinians didn't hide their thoughts, especially when they were that destructive. If only he could be reasoned with. Garunda's response shook her from her thoughts.

"That would be easier, but by the Krazoa... please hurry. My tribe is in danger, and I feel sick not even being able to help them with their plight." Krystal could tell he was genuinely upset; to her mind the feeling hung over him like a dark cloud. She would do anything she could to help his tribe... nobody was going to go through the same pain that gripped her heart, not if she could help it.

"We will set out right away in the morning, honored one." Krystal nodded. "And Brian's going along to help me... whether he likes it or not."