Ghost of the Crystal - Part 10

"I don't want to do it anymore, SkekNa" came a voice on the light breeze.  "I can't go to the Gathering.  I won't."

"Hhhhahhh.. I knew you were a spy," said another voice.  Tyrin instantly recognized it as the Hunter's.

"Shhh, SkekMal!  You will not harm my spies, or I will make sure the Emperor will have your essence, may his beak be ever bent."  This voice was higher, like a constant whine.  "If I have to come out to save a spy from you again, I'll-"

"I didn't know she was a spy, you slavegrinder," the Hunter growled.

There was a pause, then the whining voice continued.  "Gelfling, you will show me what this Gathering is.  Or do you not care for your brother or father?"

"Oh please, don't hurt them!  You've had Renn for so long.  Please let him go, at least.  I've done everything you've asked of me!"  Tyrin was sure that the voice belonged to Morra.  He crept along the ground until he saw movement, then stayed low and still.

Standing in a clearing was the Hunter, idly picking at Minn's torn crystalweave cloak.  In front of him stood another Skeksis adorned in ill-fitting leather armor that was worn over an old yellow robe.  Around his neck was a large black frill of feather and bone, rising over his back like a hump.  Although he was smaller than the Hunter, he still towered over Morra, whose arm he kept in a tight grip.  At his side, a cadre of balding creatures stood near a litter that was covered in finery.  It was obvious that they had been carrying the smaller Skeksis upon it.  The creatures weren't even half as tall as their master and were round in feature, with white, spiritless eyes.  Tyrin had seen podlings before, but never like this.  It was as if their spirits had been broken along with their minds.

"You will not be taking any gelflings from me, SkekNa.  Do not forget that I am in the Emperor's favor.  Hhhhhe fears me almost as much as you do," the Hunter said and pushed at SkekNa's chest in defiance.  SkekNa pushed back.

"You just lost four gelflings, SkekMal.  You're starting to slip.  The Emperor's favor won't last forever," SkekNa retorted with a menacing sneer and pressed his beak so close to SkekMal's that they nearly touched. "I hear SkekUng has nearly completed his newest creations, something that can gather dozens of podlings at once and can't betray the Emperor.  They look promising."

SkekMal's furs and feathers rose and bristled in anger, but only briefly.  He pulled away from the smaller Skeksis and fell silent.

"Please," Morra begged.  "Let my brother Renn go!  You can have me instead!"

SkekNa pushed her roughly to the ground.  "Why would I want you?  I need to know why the gelflings are gathering, and you are going to be the one to show me," he said, his voice getting deeper and more menacing.  "Whether you like it or not."  SkekNa reached one of his hands out and opened it.  A small, black creature that looked like a piece of fuzz jumped from it and landed on Morra.  Small, wiry legs gripped at her clothing, keeping it in place.  "My spyeye will see everything you do," SkekNa said.  "When this Gathering is over, it will return to me."

Morra grabbed at the spyeye frantically and pulled it off.  The moment it touched the ground, it jumped back at her and attached itself once again.  She used both hands to swat at it, but to no avail.  As swiftly as she could pull it off, it would simply return to her as effortlessly as a leaf blowing in the wind.  After a moment, she settled down in defeat.

The Hunter tilted his head up and sniffed at the air.  "I smell prey," he said.

"You smell nothing!  You will take the gelflings you already have to the castle," SkekNa told him.  "Leave the others.  Or do I need to remind you of what happens to those who take potential essence from the Emperor?"

SkekMal pushed his finger into SkekNa's chest.  "I will go, but you will do well to remember whhhho you are talking to.  You don't want to walk into a trap, do you?" he said, then left the others and quickly vanished into the forest.  SkekNa ran a hand around his neck with a look of dread on his face.  When he saw Morra still sitting on the ground in submission, he pulled a whip out and snapped it near her.

"Move, gelfling!"  Morra got to her feet in an instant and ran into the woods as SkekNa clambered onto the litter. The podlings all labored at their posts to lift him, but with impatience, SkekNa snapped the whip at them.  "Now, slaves!  Move now!"  They started off into the trees with the ever-present threats of their master over them.

It didn't take long for Tyrin to find where Morra gone.  She lay on the ground near a stream, sobbing.  Even when he approached, she didn't move.

"Morra, I didn't know," he said in a soft, soothing voice, sitting down beside her.

She looked up at him with terror on her face.  "Oh Tyrin.  You saw it, didn't you?" she said, bringing her legs up so she could hug her knees.  Tyrin nodded to her.  "I just don't know what to do, Tyrin.  They have my brother.  And now they have my father."  She leaned against Tyrin as he put his arm around her.  "Why are you so nice to me?  I'm a traitor.  I've betrayed everyone."

"I think you've been through enough, Morra."  Her wings fluttered a little and she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.  "I don't blame you; you did what you thought you had to do to save your family," Tyrin said.

"You don't know how hard it's been, living with the secret that I caused Renn's capture, that I was spying on my clan all that time.  I wish I could trade my life for theirs."

"Well you can't.  So don't worry about things like that.  Just focus on what you can do."

Morra sat up and looked at him.  "Tyrin, it's been so long since I've dared to dreamfast with anyone, but I need to let someone know.  I can't keep this inside any longer.  Will you?"  He nodded to her and took her hand.

Images of the other's life flooded through their minds.  Morra saw how Tyrin had never known a family, but made a family out of those he met on the road.  He had made many friends, but never held any of them very close.  Tyrin saw scenes from Morra's past.  She used to love playing with her brother, taunting him with her wings.  She was an instigator.  She goaded Renn on.  That's how he got her to sneak into the forbidden ruins that lay a day's travel from their home.   They found a Skeksis performing some dark ritual to create armored monstrosities, but they were discovered.  Renn was forced to become a slave while Morra returned home, clandestinely sending reports of her clan back to SkekNa in hopes that her cooperation would result in her brother's release.  When the dreamfast ended, she looked both relieved and sad.

"Now you know," she told him.

He smiled at her with that same friendliness that he always shared.  "Yes.  And now I think we need to get back to the others.  You're the last of the Vapra convoy, the only one who can represent them.  You have to go, even with that… thing watching you.  Where is it?"

Morra shrugged.  "I guess it's hiding, now.  Do you think it's safe?  Should I let everyone know?" she asked.  Tyrin nodded to her.

"That would probably be wise.  I have a feeling that the less the Skeksis know, the better it is for us.  Come on.  You'll feel better after we get some food and find our friends."

A small smile formed on her lips.  "Thank you, Tyrin," she said and rose to her feet.  They walked off together, hand in hand.

Neither of them noticed the peymakan was crawling away from them.  In its needle-like beak it carried the fuzzy spyeye, its limbs hanging loosely.  The peymakan crawled up a tree and onto a dark, long branch, which curled into a bony hand.  SkekMal emerged from his hiding place and brought his pet close.  He took the spyeye, then crushed it in his strong grip.  When he dropped it, it remained still.  SkekMal the Hunter wheezed for a moment, his eyes fixed on the gelflings as they walked away.

[Link to Part 1]

This concludes my entry to the Dark Crystal Author Quest.  I hope you enjoyed it!

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 9

Tyrin's wound looked worst than it felt.  The archer was not only skilled in his art, but knew how to dress a wound with a gentle and experienced hand.  Morra was silent as Minn untied her.

"Thank you, both of you," Tyrin said with a humble smile.  Prril reared up and nipped at his fingers in protest until she got the reward she'd been looking for, a pet behind the ears.  "And you too, Prril.  Who is our savior?" he asked, addressing the archer.

"I am UrVa of the Valley of Stones," he said in deep, calm tones.  Everything he did was slow, deliberate, and efficient, including the way he spoke.

"The Valley of Stones?  Then you are a Mystic?  I've heard so many tales of your people: that you are both wise and kind to gelfling, that you seek to destroy the Great Crystal, that any who wander into the Valley are killed.  You do not seem evil to me."

UrVa smiled and gave a single nod.  "Many lies have been spread.  We prefer to let our actions speak for us."

"Your actions are very welcome.  How did you find us?" Tyrin asked and nodded to Minn.  "I thought you were dead."

Minn helped Morra get to her feet and shook his head.  "Such was not in the designs of the sands of fate.  Prril was an invaluable distraction," he said as his hands danced before him.  Tyrin had never heard him speak so much at one time.  "Our camp was not far from the Podling Village where the clans gather.  The Mystics were asked by Aughra to watch over the Gathering, even though they are feared by many.  Friend UrVa was quick to answer my plea."

"The three suns are aligned tomorrow just before dusk.  The Gathering must happen then, yet we await the arrival of the Vapra clan," UrVa told them.  Morra bit her lip and leaned against the tree.

"Kleo?" Minn asked, placing his hand over his heart.  "Jag-Ben?"

Tyrin shook his head solemnly.  "Jag-Ben was caught and Kleo stayed behind to save him.  We need to find them before the Hunter does."  He got to his feet and pulled his worn shirt on.  "I can't believe that creature was a Skeksis.  I've only heard good things about them.  They've educated gelflings, held grand feasts in our honor, and work tirelessly to keep us safe."

Minn nodded and motioned to his mouth. "Words are words."

"Then let's stop using words and start using actions," Tyrin said.  "You and I should find Kleo and Jag-Ben while UrVa takes Morra back to the Village, since she is the Vapra clan's representative."

"No!  I mean, I want to help you look for the others," Morra quickly said.  "You've all done so much for me already, I can't abandon you now."

"Are you sure?" Tyrin asked.  She looked away and nodded.  "Then let's go."

"They're gone."  The three suns had risen by the time they found the empty net that Jag-Ben had been captured in.  The branch of the tree had been roughly cut off and the net left loose and open on the ground.

"They escaped," Tyrin said as he examined the scene.  "The cut is not clean.  The Hunter's blade would not leave a mess like this.  Their trail leads off this way."

UrVa pulled an arm out to stop Tyrin from following it and put a finger to his lips.  "The Hunter's trail is fresh here, too," he said softly.  "Be careful, gelflings."

"Then let's not waste any time," Tyrin said, then paused and looked around with a sigh.  "Where's Morra?"

None of them could recall the last time they had seen her.  UrVa ran a long, knobby finger against the ground and chanted an archaic verse.  "Her trail and yours are joined, Tyrin," he said after a time, marking two joining lines in the dirt.  "You will travel together, or you will fall separately.  You are important to each other, Tyrin."

Tyrin hesitated for a moment.  "You saved our lives, UrVa.  I will trust your wisdom.  But where will I find her?  And what of Jag-Ben and Kleo?"

"Do not worry, young gelfling.  We will find your friends.  Take the shard; let it guide you." UrVa lay a comforting hand on Tyrin's shoulder.  "Trust in yourself, Tyrin.  Trust in each other.  Now hurry."

Tyrin gripped the shard tightly.  "Trust in myself.  Right then," he said and brought the shard to his chest. He turned, eyes closed.  His mind wandered, eventually settling on the silvery note she had sung when he was captured.  Her voice in his thoughts, he stepped forward and opened his eyes again.  Instinct guided his every step.

[ Link to Part 8 ] -- [ Link to Part 10 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 8

"You are a resourceful one, for a gelfling.  It is a shame the Emperor will not get to feed off your essence, because I am going to kill you.  Right after I kill the female.  Hhhhahhh…. Hhhhher pelt will make a fine trophy."  He turned to Morra and reached up with a long, thin arm to pull her down and inspect her.  This time, he was careful to keep clear of her legs.  "Yes, you will do nicely," he said.  Morra jerked her head away from him as best as she could with a look of disgust.

As the Hunter inspected her, Tyrin pulled up his gemshorn and pried the stop from the thick end, leaving it little more than a simple, hollow mounder horn.  Keeping one eye on the Hunter, he hung the horn from its strap and swung it to catch the shard inside.  Instead, it nudged the shard slightly and made it roll towards the pit before coming to a rest just at the edge.

Morra noticed Tyrin's attempt.  She looked back at the Hunter and scowled.  "Our friends are going to get away.  And when they do, they'll tell the Emperor what you are doing.  He is a good ruler; he will not have any dealing with you.  None of the Skeksis will."

The Hunter's breath smelled like death as he laughed at her.  "You know nothing, gelfling," he said.

"Oh?  I know the Emperor's eyes and ears, SkekNa, is probably watching you right now.  I know the castle holds many secrets.  And I know you'll discover some of them if the Emperor finds out you've been holding out on him."  Morra spoke with more conviction than Tyrin had ever heard from her.  Everything about her statement, from the tone of voice to the stone glare to the details she seemed privy of, gave Tyrin the feeling that she wasn't bluffing.  It was, however, long enough for the Hunter to give pause.

"What do you know of their ways?  Are you one of SkekNa's spies?" he demanded, shaking her.  Morra gave a soft cry, which kept the Hunter's attention on her.  He had lowered Tyrin slightly, giving him enough room to swing the horn once more towards the shard.  It glided past, catching the edge of the shard and making it teeter.  Just as it was about to fall, the horn swung back and scooped up the shard.  Tyrin quickly pulled the horn up and grabbed the shard.  The Hunter noticed the movement in the corner of his eye and pulled Tyrin higher.

"Stay still!" he warned.  In that instant, Tyrin grabbed the shard and struck the Hunter in the face with it.  The crystal let out a brilliant light and a sharp, piercing squeal like a creature that had just been injured.  The Hunter threw Tyrin away from him.  Tyrin hit the ground with a thud and rolled over to get back on his feet.  When he looked up at the Hunter, a white light was shining from his mask, following along a crack.  Two massive hands grabbed at the mask, but it was too late; it fell apart.  Both halves fell to the ground.  The Hunter as they knew him was gone.  In his place there stood a tall, dark creature of flesh and bone.  The fine furs that once hung from him were now revealed to be rotting carcasses draped over his body, with the skulls of several creatures, including gelflings, arranged like a totem on his back.  His face was narrow and he had a sharp beak which bore a scar that ran over his sightless left eye.

"Skeksis!" Morra cried in disbelief.  The Hunter let out a menacing roar and picked up the remnants of the mask, trying to fit them together in desperation.  Tyrin held the shard out in front of him as he approached.  The Hunter pulled out a knife with one of his four arms and marched up to Tyrin.  The undulating blade drew blood as it sliced along Tyrin's chest.  Without warning, one of the gelfling-sized seed pods that hung from the tree fell on the Hunter's head.  He reeled back for just a moment.  As he began to lunge forward again, a streak of beige came from the edge of the clearing and Prril appeared at the Hunter's leg, biting it.

Tyrin held one hand to his chest and looked to the edge of the clearing where something was rustling in the forest.  Minn stepped into the light.  Although his face was covered, Tyrin could tell he was smiling because of his eyes.  Next to him was a tall creature the like of which neither Tyrin nor Morra had ever seen.  It, like the Skeksis, had four arms and a narrow face.  A spiral made up of sharp bends was etched into either side of its long snout.  Slender feathers had been woven into its white hair, which flowed in braids down its back.  A heavy coat hung off its shoulders, displaying similar etched spirals as its face.  Behind it, a tail rested on the ground for stability.  In one hand it held out a bow as long as its body and as thick as its arms.  In order to pull the string, it used two hands, leaving the last to prepare an arrow from the quiver that hung at its waist.

"Minn!" Tyrin yelled with joy as his friend came closer.  The growling Skeksis had turned his attention away from him and stabbed at Prril.  The blade hit nothing.  Prril had moved like a swift spring zephyr and curled herself around Tyrin's shoulders.  But as soon as Prril moved away, the Hunter raised his knife to strike at Tyrin once more.

Minn broke into a run and dashed past the Hunter and Tyrin.  At the same moment, the four-armed archer nocked two arrows.  It began a deep, serene chant and pulled both arms away from the string in a circular motion, loosing both arrows.  The first struck another pod off the tree and caused it to fall between the Hunter and his prey.  The second sliced through the rope that held Morra above the pit.  Minn leaped at her, catching her in his arms and sending them tumbling onto the far side.

"You!" the Hunter intoned and glared at the archer.  Another pair of arrows had already been prepared and were aimed at the Skeksis.  "You wouldn't dare."

The archer pulled the string taut and began to chant once more.  Step by step, the Hunter backed away from them.  Although he soon disappeared into the darkness of the woods, the oppressive feeling of dread that always accompanied him remained.

[ Link to Part 7 ] -- [ Link to Part 9 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 7

It may be a bit jarring to see a time change in a post-by-post telling of a single short story, but this marks the end of the flashback and continuation of the first part, which you can link to at the bottom of this entry.  If you are confused, use the links at the bottom to catch up to speed.

Tyrin fell to the ground with a thud.  When he looked up from the bottom of the pit, he saw the Hunter tear the pole to pieces and scatter the remains.  A few scraps of wood fell on top of Tyrin before he could get to his feet.  Then the spirit turned its ghastly face towards him and chuckled, holding out a small shard of crystal.  It sang a soft, clear tone and emanated a deep blue light.  The sound was soon joined by a second voice, then several.  Tyrin and Morra looked down to the bottom of the pit.  One by one, critters about the size of a gelfling's hand worked their way through the earthen walls and paused near Tyrin.  Their eyes reflected the deep blue of the crystal as their wings fluttered together, creating their low thrum.  In a flash, Tyrin scrambled to the far wall and got to his feet.  He counted twenty of them.  Each one moved about on four sharp legs, using strange, jerking motions.  But it was the needle-like beaks that caught his attention.

"Peymakan!" Tyrin said.  Although he pulled out his knife and brandished it at the large insects, it did not give him any sense of safety.

"Hhahhh… hahhhh!"  The Hunter moved closer to the edge of the pit.  Morra could see that Minn's crystalweave cloak now hung from his side.  "I see the young gelfling is familiar with my pets.  They'll make you sleep forever, gelfling."

One of the peymakan jumped onto Tyrin's leg and stuck him with its beak.  There was no pain.  He swatted it away with the blade and yelled at them.  Already he could feel a numbness spreading into his leg.  The peymakan backed up for a moment and vibrated their wings in unison.  The sound grew louder, more menacing.

"Haahh hahh hahhh!  Make him sleep, my pets.  But do not kill him.  He will provide essence to the Emperor."  The crystal's light changed hue, from blue to purple to red.  It, too, began to hum with the note of the insects.

Tyrin pressed his back against the wall again and looked up at Morra and the Hunter.  A feeling of despair came over him as he realized that no matter what he did, he could not get out of the situation.  The peymakan drew closer and surrounded him.

"Hmmmmmmm…"  It was Morra's silvery voice rising above the thrum, matching the tone.  The insects hesitated at the sound.

"Quiet, you!" the Hunter said and struck Morra.  Her white locks fell around her face as she swung from the blow.

The peymakan continued moving towards Tyrin.  He jabbed his knife into the wall and took his gemshorn in both hands.  After a quick breath, the instrument was pressed against his lips in a familiar kiss.  Serenity flowed forth as a soft, dulcet note hung in the air.  Instantly, the insects halted and changed their tone.  Tyrin followed their new note, then led them to another.  They followed suit.  The light of the crystal shard shifted once again, going from red to a gentle white.  Slowly, the insects backed away from Tyrin and wiggled into the earthen walls with their sharp legs, disappearing.

"No!!  My pets!  This useless crystal!  I will never trust that bent-snouted thief, again!" the Hunter cried and threw the shard to the ground.  "Then I am just going to have to save this one to eat later."  He moved away from the pit and knelt down by the trunk of the tree.  There, he began to fashion a covering for the pit with all four hands working in tandem.

Tyrin wasted no time in looking for a way out.  He'd made it this far; he knew there had to be an escape.  It only took a moment of feeling around in the loose dirt before he found more scraps of wood that had fallen into the pit with him.  It was easy enough to work into small stakes, which he stuffed into his belt

When he was ready, Tyrin jumped up to grab the spear that still stuck out from the wall.  He pulled himself up onto it and pulled two stakes from his belt.  With all his might, he drove them into the wet dirt near his midsection, followed by two more at head-height.  In this manner, he began to climb out of the pit.

The speed of the Hunter's hands was incredible.  Tyrin was only half-way up the pit wall when the Hunter started to drag the completed covering back over to where Morra hung, still and limp.  "I must check my other traps.  You will wait hhhhhere.  If they escaped, doubtless they will come for you.  Now scream, gelfling.  Bring them hhhhhahh... here."  He walked up to her and reached up to grab her leg.  Before his hand reached her, however, she kicked hard and struck him in the head.  The Hunter reeled back with a loud cry and grabbed at his face, dropping the covering on the ground.  Something had changed in the spirit.  Somehow, that unexpected blow had made him more tangible.  She could no longer see through him.  His furs no longer looked as fine.  In his hands he held a mask they hadn't seen before, which he kept tight against his unseen face.

Tyrin had no time.  He pulled himself up to his highest handholds and pushed off of them into a leap.  His fingers grasped at the edge of the pit but started to slip a little.  Drawing his legs up near his belly, Tyrin gave one final kick and jumped to the far side of the pit.  The cold ground hit him in the chest, leaving his arms free to help him clamber out of his temporary prison.  The Hunter was still hunched over, working at his mask.  Tyrin ran towards him, but his foot slipped on something small and round and he tumbled over.  When he looked down, he saw the shard of crystal laying at his feet.

The Hunter affixed the mask and turned towards his prey.  Once again, he was a full spirit.  Once again, he moved with a celerity that caught Tyrin by surprise.  The gelfling reached for his knife and let out a gasp when he realized that he had left it at the bottom of the pit.  Before he had a chance to reach for the shard, the powerful grip of the Hunter was on his leg, lifting him upside-down into the air.  The last of the stakes fell to the ground; he just managed to grab the gemshorn by its strap before it, too, fell out of reach.

[ Link to Part 6 ] -- [ Link to Part 1 ] -- [ Link to Part 8 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 6

Every step in the dark was slow, laborious.  No one wanted to make a sound for fear of drawing the Hunter down on them.  Jag-Ben especially made sure his thick boots landed in Kleo's dainty footprints.  They weren't sure how much time had passed before the light of the campfire was but a distant memory.  The sound of fighting had also long since ceased.  Kleo stopped them short as a moonbeam reflected off a single thread along the ground.  She pointed it out to the others and let her gaze follow along the thread to a blackwood tree, where it was tied around a thin branch twice.

"A snap trap," Tyrin whispered.  "I use this kind to catch game sometimes."  He took out his knife and knelt down to cut off part of a thin vine nearby.  "I don't want Morra to stumble into this.  Give me a moment."  Jag-Ben huffed in annoyance.

"If ya do it wrong, ya might set it off," he said.  "Just hurry over and leave 'er be!"  He stepped one leg over it, letting Kleo help guide him.  His foot fell with a hard thump on the other side.

Snap!!  The sound startled all three of them, but the thread remained intact.  A shrill scream echoed through the forest.

"It's Morra!" Tyrin said.  He glanced up at the others for just a moment.  "I have to help her," was all he said before running off towards the source of the scream.

"Oh no!" Kleo said, darting after him.  In his haste to follow, Jag-Ben tripped over the thread.  It tugged on the thinnest part of the branch it had been tied to, snapping it off.  The tree reacted just like the one back In camp, recoiling the branch up and away from the ground in a single, swift motion.  A second thread had been tied to the branch and pulled on a net of thick vines that was buried nearby under a layer of dirt.  The net took Jag-Ben's feet out from under him and swept him up.  When it the trap was finished, Jag-Ben was left bouncing and swinging high off the ground.

Tyrin turned to look behind him.  "Kleo, you get him out.  I'll go help Morra!  Well find each other later."

"I promise I will not lose Jag-Ben to that monster, too," Kleo said with a mixture of pain and resolve in her voice, then ran back to Jag-Ben.  Her dark wings unfurled and she leaped gracefully to the net before pulling out her small knife.  With the first cut, the vines all writhed and contracted as if in pain, making Jag-Ben cry out briefly.  Kleo stopped cutting, then looked up at Tyrin.  "Go, now!  I'll get him out!"  With a nod, Tyrin turned on his heels and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

[ Link to Part 5 ]  -- [ Link to Part 7 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 5

"It's him!  I can't let him take you, too!"  She was terrified as she looked around the campsite.  "We need to run."

Tyrin shook his head.  "We might get separated.  If it is the Hunter, he'll have traps ready," he whispered, pulling his knife out.

"But we canna' just stay here and wait for an attack," Jag-Ben said.

All of them were back to back now.  Even Prril had wrapped herself around Minn's shoulders and hissed at the darkness.  The breathing grew louder.  Kleo reached behind her and pulled at Jag-Ben's hairy arm.  He turned to look at her, but saw that she was pointing at the other side of the fire.

A tall, white figure slowly stepped into the light.  Most of his body was still hidden behind trees and shrubs, but as he drew nearer, some of the plants pulled their roots from the ground and scurried away from him.  His face was an indistinct, pale blur that focused around two large, black eyes and a broken line that was curled into a smile.  The more of him that was exposed to the light, the clearer they could see him.  His hunched body was easily twice as tall as even the tallest gelfling and clad in rich furs and pelts that draped in front of him.  Even from this distance, they could smell his putrid scent.  "Run, little ones," he said in a breathy voice.

They backed away from the specter.  Tyrin took Morra's hand and she gripped his firmly.  With a grunt, Jag-Ben stepped forward, putting himself between the Hunter and the others.

"Ye're not welcome here, spirit!" he commanded in the strongest voice he could muster.  "Begone!"

 The Hunter chortled.  A crossbow appeared from behind his furs and aimed for Jag-Ben.  With a melodic twang, an arrow took flight, but not from the Hunter.  Minn had quickly fashioned his instrument into a bow and was already preparing a second arrow as the first zipped in the air straight for their foe.  It struck the Hunter with a dull, wooden thwack.  However, his ethereal form had shifted to the side with grace and rapidity, so that what looked like a solid hit one moment was revealed to be a miss.  The arrow had only torn through his furs and was lodged in a thick tree.

A bemused smile cracked along the thin line of the Hunter's mouth.  "A challenge?!" he called and turned his crossbow towards Minn instead.  Prril hissed and, in a cloud of sand and light, disappeared from Minn's shoulders.  For a moment, she was little more than a beige streak along the ground before jumping onto the Hunter's crossbow and latching her fangs into his bony hand.  A long, metal bolt was released and buried itself into the ground harmlessly.

His shrill scream was the impetus the gelflings needed.  "Go, I will draw him off," Minn said with a quick jerk of his head.  He ran towards the fire that lay between them and their foe.  The Hunter grabbed Prril and tossed her away, but the distraction gave Minn enough time to pull off his crystalweave cloak and wave it in front of the fire.  The resulting light that passed through the myriad crystals blinded the Hunter.  A second crossbow pushed through his furs and launched another bolt, which struck the cloak and buried itself in the fire.

"Minn is right.  He is too strong ta fight," Jag-Ben said.  He backed away with his thick, green arms outspread, guiding the others into the darkness of the woods.

Kleo called out to Minn, but her pleas went unheeded.  As Minn fired off another ill-fated arrow, Jag-Ben pulled her away from the scene and into the underbrush.  Warm light was replaced by cold darkness.  They ran, tripping over roots and rocks.

"Wait," Tyrin said, putting a hand up.  "We're being too loud."  His voice dropped to a whisper.

"We need to gain some distance." Jag-Ben called over his shoulder.  He ducked his head as the others shushed him.

"We won't get anywhere if we fall into a trap or lead him to us," Tyrin whispered.

"Tyrin is right," Kleo said.  "We won't get anywhere if we stumble into a trap, and I don't want Minn to be risking himself for nothing."

"Then how do we the avoid traps?" Jag-Ben asked.

Tyrin nodded gravely.  "Kleo, you live in caves.  You can see in the dark, right?" he asked.

"Yes.  It is the gift of my clan."  She smiled and nodded, her dark hand taking Jag-Ben's.  "I will guide us," she said softly.  Tyrin held Jag-Ben's hand, but when he looked around for Morra, she was gone.

"Have you seen Morra?" he whispered.  Kleo only shook her head.

"Her people are good at hiding.  Perhaps it is best if we let 'er be," Jag-Ben said.

Another loud cry came form the campfire, but it was hard to tell who it came from.  "Let's go," Kleo whispered urgently and pulled them along in the dark.  "We should be just a few hours from the forest edge."

[ Link to Part 4 ] -- [ Link to Part 6 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 4

Kleo sat down beside Morra again and used a small water skin to wet a piece of cloth.  She attended to Morra's arm with a smile.  "I'm Kleo, from the Grottan clan.  And that is Minn, a Dousan from the Crystal Sea."

"I've never met either of your kind before," Morra said as Kleo pulled a small bone needle from a pouch at her side.  She threaded the needle with a bit of string and started patching up the tears in Morra's sleeve.  All the while, Minn was busy in a rucksack, pulling out supplies that he could spare and setting them on a blanket.

"Well, we don't usually leave the caverns," Kleo said.  "A week ago, I'd never met a Dousan before, either.  I found him wandering on his own while I was gathering herbs.  He told me he's the eldest son of his village's matriarch, but got separated from his party when they entered the Maze of Many.  I took him out of the maze by a shortcut and decided to help him until he found his clan."

Prril, as if upset that she had been left out of the introductions, jumped into Morra's lap and pressed her head against the gelfling's chin, lifting her pointed forelegs to do so.  She yawned, revealing a mouth of very sharp teeth and two tongues side-by-side.  "And what is this little one's name?" Morra asked and began to pet her.

"Prril.  She is my bond-kin," Minn said.  He took his hands from his work to gesture over his chest as he spoke.

"And how did you all meet?" Morra asked.

"We only met this morning," Tyrin said as he walked around the clearing with Jag-Ben.  "The Dark Wood has only a few trails through it, and our paths crossed.  It is better to travel together, is it not?"

Morra nodded.  "Yes.  It is.  I used to travel with my younger brother often, but now he is… missing.  My mother's body returned to Thra long ago.  So now I travel with my father.  We were heading to The Gathering with some traders and nobles.  Before we knew it, one of the traders was gone.  No one knew anything had happened until three of them had disappeared.  We split up to look for them, but didn't get very far.  One by one we disappeared.  When I heard my father cry out, I ran to him.  He was hanging upside down by a tree and there was a white figure with him.  I hid.  I could see my father right through him.  It was the Hunter, I'm sure of it.

"I must have made a noise because he turned and looked right at me.  I ran, but he cut me off.  Everywhere I went, he was there.  It was like he was herding me."  She trembled again.

"When was this?" Jag-Ben asked.

"An hour, maybe two.  Maybe I lost him.  I- I just don't know!" Morra said.  Kleo put an arm around her and let them lean together.  "Father is the only family I have left," Morra murmured, looking away.

"Well, for tonight, we are your family," Kleo said.

A loud crack echoed through the woods.  Everyone jumped.  When they saw Tyrin cutting down a long branch of blackwood from a nearby tree, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.  The rest of the tree had recoiled from the cut, bringing the wounded stump close to its trunk quickly and up out of the gelfling's reach.  Tyrin tested the branch's strength by pushing his knee against the makeshift staff and pressing his full weight into it.  He looked satisfied and pulled a small knife out of his rucksack to whittle away at the tip.  Only the sounds of the woods' denizens accompanied him.  He had only just begun when he realized the others were staring at him.  "What?"

Jag-Ben picked up what he thought was a small round rock covered in moss.  Instead, it quivered in his hand and made a squealing noise when he threw it at Tyrin.  The small woodland creature bounced off his chest, gave a grunt of displeasure, and scurried away into the underbrush.  "Don't ya go scaring th' others like that.  If there's someone out there, and I'm not saying there is, we're in danger enough by having a fire.  We don't need ta be attracting any more attention."

"I want to go look for her father," Tyrin announced.  He continued to whittle away until the tip of the staff ended in a long, quill-like point of white.  "If the Hunter followed her out here, then he may still be alive.  Is anyone with me?"

The gravitas of the announcement struck the group.  Several moments passed with only the light growl of the fire before Jag-Ben spoke up.  "I'm in.  Ya'll need the company.  Besides, I've dealt with th' Spriton before."

Minn shook his head and indicated the surrounding camp with his hands.  "I will stay.  Guard."

"No!"  Morra pulled herself to her feet.  "You don't know me, you don't know my father!  I can't let you risk yourselves!"

"Shall I make you a weapon?" Tyrin asked Jag-Ben, despite Morra's insistence.  She pulled on his spear in protest.  The two found themselves struggling over it.  Kleo was trying to calm them down, and even Jag-Ben started getting involved.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Morra complained.

"Why won't you let us help you?" Tyrin countered.

Minn waved his hands in urgent fashion.  "Quiet!" he commanded, but his soft voice was overwhelmed by the others.  No matter how loud he tried to be, he could not garner their attention.  It was Prril's piercing cry as her tail was pulled that brought the group to silence.  "Sorry, girl," Minn apologized as he straightened out her tail and petted her along the back in recompense.  Prril did not look happy with him.  She padded towards the fire to recover her wounded pride, her head high and her tail swaying indignantly.  But as she lowered herself to the ground, Prril stopped short and swiveled her ears forward in alarm.

"What is wrong, Minn?" Kleo asked.

"Listen."  The group was quiet, expecting him to speak, but instead he motioned to the trees.

"I don't hear anything," Tyrin said, then widened his eyes in fear.  "The woods are silent."  He tried to recall just when the sounds of life had ceased, but couldn't.  Everyone was on high alert.  Morra wrested the spear from Tyrin's grip and brandished it towards the woods.

They all moved back towards the fire to gather their things quietly.  "Hahhhh."  No one could tell where the sound came from, but it sent shivers through them.  "Hahhhh… hahhhh…"  It sounded excited, like someone was on the verge of laughter.  Morra 's wings fanned out and she pushed her back against Tyrin.

[ Link to Part 3 ] -- [ Link to Part 5 ]

Ghost of the Crystal - Part 3

"Over there!  It's a gelfling!" Kleo cried and quickly rose to her feet.  No sooner had she reached the edge of the clearing than a girl with long, braided hair of silver broke out of the darkness and into the warm light.  Her beautiful white and green garments had been soiled by mud and torn by the underbrush.  The intricate braiding in her hair was falling into chaos as a tangle of loose strands fell around her face and shoulders.  Behind her, a pair of gossamer wings clung tightly to her back.  She fell into Kleo's arms, trembling.  "Shhh, it's all right.  You're safe here.  Come, sit by the cookfire with us."

The girl looked up.  Her hazel eyes darted around the clearing nervously.  They could see that her pale face was beset with fear.  The closer she got to the fire, however, the more its light and warmth calmed her.

"What happened?  Are you all right?" Tyrin asked worriedly when the girl was seated near the fire.  He pulled a water skin off his shoulder and knelt down beside her to offer it.  Likewise, Kleo took the blanket off her shoulders and wrapped it around the girl.  Kleo's small, dark wings fluttered for a moment when they were freed.

"Th-they're all gone," the stranger said.  She clutched the water skin with both hands, but did not drink from it.  "It was so fast."

"Who's gone, girl?" Jag-Ben asked while looking around the woods in worry.

Minn put another log on the fire and stoked it into a lively, dancing flame.  In the bright light, they could see red, swollen scratches ran along her left arm where her sleeve was left in tatters.  She also had a small, light blue tattoo of an inverted triangle on her cheek.  Kleo sat behind her and worked at the braid in her hair, unraveling it.

"My convoy.  I can't believe they're gone."  As the girl spoke, Prril jumped off Minn's shoulder and walked up to her to sniff at her hand with blunted snout.  It didn't take long for Prril to steal a scratch or two.

"Convoy?" Tyrin asked.  "Are you lost?"  She shook her head.  "Who are you?  Where are you from?  Are you also heading towards The Gathering?"  Kleo gave him a stern glance, wordlessly telling him to not hound their guest with questions.

Regardless, the girl nodded.  "I'm Morra.  I was supposed to represent the Vapra Clan at the Gathering, but now I don't think I'll make it.  It's after me, I'm sure it is."  The fear in her eyes returned.  "I shouldn't be here.  We're not safe.  It's still out there."  Her gaze darted about as if she could hear things in the woods the others could not.

Jag-Ben picked up a stick and waved it about in front of him.  "Hmm. 'It' was probably some o' the Spriton Clan.  We're in their woods, and they dunna take kindly to visitors," he said, stamping his thick, green boots on the ground defiantly.

"It wasn't a gelfling.  We're all in danger here," Morra said and stood up to leave.  Tyrin took her by the hand.

"What's out there?  If you're too scared to say it, then show me through dreamfast," he said.  She jerked her hand out of his roughly and looked at him with abject horror.

"It was The Hunter."

"Bah!  He's just a myth!" Jag-Ben grunted.  "The Spriton are known for their scare tactics.  I'm sure what you saw was a just ruse meant to frighten.  If they mistook your people for their rivals, the Woodland–"

"No!  I saw him with my own eyes!  No gelfling is that tall, that fast. He had four arms, a bent back, and holes, holes for eyes!" Morra declared.

"It had to be a trick!"  Jag-Ben turned away with a grunt.  Kleo walked up to him and put her dark hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right, Jag-Ben," she said and smiled.  "I know it can be hard to hear what you believe isn't true, but I'm sure she saw something out there.  Whatever it was, maybe we can help."

Morra drew her arms around herself.  "It was no trick!  He saw me.  Those eyes, they didn't look at me, they looked into me, through me.  And the way he wheezed.  It wasn't like he was tired, but excited."

"Here, sit down, warm yourself.  You shouldn't go back out cold and hungry," Tyrin said, leading her to a seat by the fire.  Prril cried piteously at Morra and rubbed against her legs, prompting a brief smile from the girl.  Minn pulled the charred piece of meat from the spit over the fire, then wrapped it in a leaf and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said and brushed a strand of white hair from her face before eating.

"All we have is given to us by Thra; it would be wrong for us to keep things for ourselves.  I am Tyrin.  I've traveled from the Silver Sea in the North to see the land and its people.  When I heard of the Gathering, I had to come see it for myself.  To think the Arbitrator herself has called for all the clans to congregate.  I've heard nothing on what it is all about."

"The Silver Sea?  You've come a long way, then.  Did you cross the Claw Mountain?"

He shook his head firmly.  "I might love adventure, but I am not that foolhardy.  No, I came through the grasslands and the Swamp of Sog.  You've, uh, met Jag-Ben.  That's where I ran into him.  He's gruff, but has a good heart, and no one is more dependable," Tyrin said.

Morra appeared more relaxed now and nodded to Jag-Ben, who answered with a humph! of mild protest.

"Yeah, well there's still no Hunter," he retorted.  "But, if there's something out there, we'll keep ya safe.  I've gotten that lad out o' more than a few scrapes in the last month, haven't I?" Jag-Ben said and gave Tyrin a knowing smirk.  "I've traveled with him to keep him out of trouble!"

[ Link to Part 2 ] -- [ Link to Part 4 ]