![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sidhe_faerieDark Realms Episode #8/9: Sanctuary of Stone
Word count: 5393
Brought to you by puzzleprompts
Episode 8
Several months after the destruction of Exalta and its sun, a few dozen survivors gathered in a cavern on an unnamed moon to honor the home and the loved ones they lost.
The bird like creatures stood in groups with their heads down and wings limp at their sides. They were refugees on a moon with little to offer but air to breath and water to drink. Their hope was dwindling a little more each day that passed that their race would survive past the last of them now standing in the damp cavern
Talvan, the leader of the group, carried a worn book in his hands as he moved to the center of the cavern. He lit his candle from the fire in the center of the room and walked back to the others who came to form a circle around the fire. He touched his flame to the candle held by a woman holding on to the hand of her young son. She turned to her left and passed on the flame.
“Come now into the circle. Spread your wings, children. We are all that is left of a proud race. We are the Shifters of Exalta.” Talvan looked around. “It is up to us to restore the greatness of our people. We have that ability. It is our duty!”
“And what of revenge for the dead?” A voice called out from the back of the group. “Is that not our duty as well?”
“Revenge was never our way.” Talvan raised the book over his head. “It is written by the Scribes of Avia that those who would seek vengeance are lost and must be healed.”
“I am neither lost nor in need of healing, Grandfather.” The man belonging to the voice stepped forward. “My wife and my hatchlings were on our home world when they were burned alive by the sun being ripped to pieces in the sky above them. You say that we are the last hope to make our people great again. That I agree with but we have to seek justice for the dead so that they can rest in peace and with honor.”
“Rix please. Now is not the time to spread hate.” The woman reached out. “Antle would not want you to mourn her in that way.”
“Allam, you know nothing of what Antle would want.” Rix shook his head. “What Antle would want is for me to find the person responsible for this heinous act and bring them before the people that they wronged.”
“Rix, no one knows who that is.” Allam pulled her son closer. “There was no warning. Those of us in this place survived because we were not on our home world. We were out in the stars as our people have always been.”
“Then it is out to the stars I will return to find this evil and show it no mercy.” Rix turned to walk away then turned to “Allam. You have your son. I lost both of mine along with their sister and mother. When you have lost everything that was your heart then you will understand.”
Rix walked out of the cavern and headed for the cargo ship a few yards away.
“Wait! Take me with you!” A young man ran after him. “You can’t pilot that ship on your own.”
Rix sighed and turned around. “Valn, you can’t talk me out of my decision.”
“I don’t want to but our people will need supplies and food. You and I can find what we can as we search for this evil murderer and bring back food and supplies.” Valn opened his wings. “We must help our people. It is a priority.”
“Come along then and don’t make me regret this.” Rix turned and walked to his ship. “I shudder to think what your mother would have said if she had seen you talking it me.”
“There goes a nice boy who wants to do the right thing for his people.” Valn grinned as he followed Rix inside the ship.
“You mother thought I was trouble.” Rix sat in the pilot’s seat.
“That was because you used to steal apples from her shop.” Valn laughed. “Where do we start?”
“Kavel. There is an open market there. Someone is bound to know something and we can get food and supplies there too.” Rix grinned.
“Do you have currency?” Valn asked. “Because I don’t think that they are just going to give us food and supplies for nothing.”
“I raided the coffers of the First Prime when I went back to Exalta to see if there were survivors. I have plenty and if I need more I can just go back.” Rix told him.
Valn hesitated then asked what he wanted to know since the disaster that had taken their home world. “Rix, what did you see when you went back? Were there dead everywhere?”
“No.” Rix swallowed down his emotions. “The radiation from the sun exploding burned every living thing on the planet to ash. All that was left was destruction. We won’t ever be able to go back there. Even with a lead lined hazard suit, I was taking a risk going there.”
Valn fell silent as they took off from the planet.
On Centra, Jace stood at the side of the Travelers Bridge looking out over the water. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t see Dallys come up beside him.
The weather was getting colder now and the sky was full of slivery clouds. Both of them had heavy cloaks on but Dallys still shivered from the cold.
“I hope Kavel is warmer than here.” Dallys said mostly to herself.
“It’s always warm there.” Jace looked up at the sky. “It looks like it’s going to snow. I was beginning to wonder if this planet had more than one season.”
“Wincet says the snow can get knee deep at times. I have never seen more than a light dusting and a few flakes in the air.” Dallys shivered again under her cloak. “My planet is not usually very cold. I don’t like the cold.”
“My planet has all manner of weather from hot to freezing cold. It’s always changing.” Jace smiled. “That’s what I have always liked about it. You never get tired of it.”
“It sounds very interesting. I wonder if I will ever get to go there.” Dallys asked. “Do they have fae on your world?”
“No. We just have humans.” Jace smiled. “I don’t think I will ever see Earth again. It’s a good thing that I don’t have anyone back there to miss me.”
“No family?” Dallys turned to look up at Jace.
“No. They’re all dead.” Jace looked down at his hands on the railing. “My mum died of cancer just before I came here.”
“What’s cancer?” Dallys asked.
“It is a disease that wastes you away until there is nothing left to do but die.” Jace pulled the hood of his cloak up and turned around. “Where is everyone else?”
“Nellis and Borne were right behind me.” Dallys said just before she spotted them. “There they are.”
They walked up to where Jace and Dallys were standing.
Nellis handed Dallys a list. “You are in charge of the herbs. Jace and I are getting the rest and Borne is going to carry it all home.”
“Let’s get the shopping done so we can go back to saving the universe, shall we?” Jace walked over into the center of the bridge where a cart was waiting for them. “Where is Wincet?”
“I don’t know.” Nellis shrugged. He and Tona were in the workroom when he gave me the list. “I think we will have a mission waiting when we get back.”
“Good.” Jace nodded. “I don’t like to sit and do nothing for too long.”
“You’re starting to sound like Tona.” Dallys nudged Jace in the arm.
Jace shrugged. “I’m just an intergalactic man of mystery saving the universe one planet at a time.”
“Jace, you are so full of …” Nellis jumped when Wincet tapped him on the shoulder. “Wincet! Hey! I didn’t see you there.”
“Shall we get on with it?” Wincet walked into the center of the bridge and opened the portal. “Make sure you get everything on that list Dallys.”
“Isn’t Tona coming?” Jace asked.
“No I have something I want her to do for me.” Wincet grinned mischievously.
Jace shrugged and pushed the cart through the portal to Kavel. The others followed him through.
Once through the portal, they walked the short distance to the open market and split up and went to get food and supplies.
Borne decided to go with Jace and Nellis. They let him push the car while they stopped at one vendor then another.
They were nearly done when Nellis bumped into a cloaked figure.
“Excuse me. My fault.” Nellis waited for the figure to respond. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes.” The figure pulled back his hood and looked at Nellis. “You’re a Caspirian shifter, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Are you an Exaltanese shifter? I thought you were all killed in the explosion of your star. I’m Nellis by the way.”
“I’m Rix. How did you know about the loss of our home world? No one here seems to know.”
“We were watching as the star exploded. That is, my friends and I.” Nellis pointed to Jace and Borne. “We are a group of travelers that work to make the universe a better place. We had been discussing a mission when we saw the explosion. How many of you kind are left?”
“About forty.” Rix took a moment to regain control of his emotions. “We were scattered on various ships and outposts when our world was destroyed. Now we are gathered on a moon circling a gas giant in the Gax system.”
“Forty?” Nellis shook his head. “There were millions on your world. Will you be rebuilding on the moon?”
“I don’t know. It’s a harsh place.” Rix shrugged. “I’m here on Kavel to get supplies and some answers.”
“Answers?” Nellis asked. He knew he shouldn’t tell this man what he knew until he had spoken to Wincet. To tell Rix would serve no good purpose.
“The person responsible for the murder of my people needs to be brought before us to face the consequences on his actions.” Rix sighed. “It’s the only way to give peace to the dead now.”
Nellis nodded. “My friends and I might be able to help with that but you have to speak to our leader. He’s back at our base on Centra. You could come back with us and speak to him.”
“Thank you but I need to get everything we bought back to our people.” Rix pointed behind hip tp where several ships were sitting on the ground. “My copilot is loading the cargo ship now. How can I get in touch with you?”
Nellis thought for a moment. “How long will it take you to get back to the Gax system?”
“Four hours.” Rix told him.
“We should be done and back to Centra by then. I will speak to our leader and we will come to you. We travel by portal.” Nellis told him.
“That sounds quite handy.” Rix smiled.
“It can be.” Nellis grinned.
“Nellis, who is your friend?” Jace asked. He looked the creature up and down and frowned. It reminded him of an giant eagle.
“This is Rix. He is an Exaltanese shifter and Rix, this is Jace and the one with the cart is Borne.” Nellis looked around and spotted Dallys haggling with a spice merchant. He pointed her out to Rix. “That fae in the blue cloak is Dallys. We are one short today. She had an errand to run for our leader.”
“So many different races and you are all working together. That’s incredible.” Rix was amazed.
Valn ran up to Rix. “We’re all loaded. We should get back now.”
“This is Valn my copilot.” Rix glanced back at Valn. “We had better go. I hope to see you all very soon.”
Rix and Valn turned and went back to their ship and headed back to the Gax system.
“Nellis, what did you say to him?” Jace asked.
“I told him that I would talk to Wincet and see if we could help them find the person that destroyed their world.” Nellis saw the hard look on Jace’s face.” I didn’t tell him that we knew who did it. If I had, he would have just rushed off and got himself in trouble. There are only forty of his kind left I don’t want to be responsible for the death of another.”
“That was a very logical decision.” Borne said. “We need one more thing and then we can go. We need cabbage”
“There’s some down there.” Jace pointed to the cart. “You and I can go, Borne. Nellis can stay here with the cart and try to stay out of trouble.”
Just then, Dallys walked up and put her bag on the cart. “There! I am done. I like it better when Tona comes. She can get a good price without haggling so much. I think they are a little afraid of her.”
“We are all a little afraid of her at times. We’ll be right back.” Jace said then walked to the merchant with Borne.
“Jace seems annoyed with you. What did you do?” Dallys asked.
“I just made a new friend and promised to talk to Wincet on his behalf.” Nellis looked over the cart. “I can’t believe we go through so much in just a few months.”
“I didn’t recognize his race what is he?” Dallys asked.
“He is an Exaltanese shifter.” Nellis pulled at the bag of turnips. “Do you Remember the sun we saw blow up? It destroyed his planet. There are only forty of them left now. They are living on a moon in the Gax system.”
“Did you tell them about Trystana?” Dallys asked.
“No. I thought I had better talk to Wincet first.” Nellis looked over at Jace and Borne who were walking their way. “It looks like we are done.”
When Borne and Jace reached them, Borne put the cabbage on the cart and started to push the cart to the rendezvous point.
“Let’s go.” Dallys started walking in the direction Borne took. “I wonder if it has started to snow yet.”
Jace and Nellis looked at each other then followed her.
Word count: 5393
Brought to you by puzzleprompts
Episode 8
Several months after the destruction of Exalta and its sun, a few dozen survivors gathered in a cavern on an unnamed moon to honor the home and the loved ones they lost.
The bird like creatures stood in groups with their heads down and wings limp at their sides. They were refugees on a moon with little to offer but air to breath and water to drink. Their hope was dwindling a little more each day that passed that their race would survive past the last of them now standing in the damp cavern
Talvan, the leader of the group, carried a worn book in his hands as he moved to the center of the cavern. He lit his candle from the fire in the center of the room and walked back to the others who came to form a circle around the fire. He touched his flame to the candle held by a woman holding on to the hand of her young son. She turned to her left and passed on the flame.
“Come now into the circle. Spread your wings, children. We are all that is left of a proud race. We are the Shifters of Exalta.” Talvan looked around. “It is up to us to restore the greatness of our people. We have that ability. It is our duty!”
“And what of revenge for the dead?” A voice called out from the back of the group. “Is that not our duty as well?”
“Revenge was never our way.” Talvan raised the book over his head. “It is written by the Scribes of Avia that those who would seek vengeance are lost and must be healed.”
“I am neither lost nor in need of healing, Grandfather.” The man belonging to the voice stepped forward. “My wife and my hatchlings were on our home world when they were burned alive by the sun being ripped to pieces in the sky above them. You say that we are the last hope to make our people great again. That I agree with but we have to seek justice for the dead so that they can rest in peace and with honor.”
“Rix please. Now is not the time to spread hate.” The woman reached out. “Antle would not want you to mourn her in that way.”
“Allam, you know nothing of what Antle would want.” Rix shook his head. “What Antle would want is for me to find the person responsible for this heinous act and bring them before the people that they wronged.”
“Rix, no one knows who that is.” Allam pulled her son closer. “There was no warning. Those of us in this place survived because we were not on our home world. We were out in the stars as our people have always been.”
“Then it is out to the stars I will return to find this evil and show it no mercy.” Rix turned to walk away then turned to “Allam. You have your son. I lost both of mine along with their sister and mother. When you have lost everything that was your heart then you will understand.”
Rix walked out of the cavern and headed for the cargo ship a few yards away.
“Wait! Take me with you!” A young man ran after him. “You can’t pilot that ship on your own.”
Rix sighed and turned around. “Valn, you can’t talk me out of my decision.”
“I don’t want to but our people will need supplies and food. You and I can find what we can as we search for this evil murderer and bring back food and supplies.” Valn opened his wings. “We must help our people. It is a priority.”
“Come along then and don’t make me regret this.” Rix turned and walked to his ship. “I shudder to think what your mother would have said if she had seen you talking it me.”
“There goes a nice boy who wants to do the right thing for his people.” Valn grinned as he followed Rix inside the ship.
“You mother thought I was trouble.” Rix sat in the pilot’s seat.
“That was because you used to steal apples from her shop.” Valn laughed. “Where do we start?”
“Kavel. There is an open market there. Someone is bound to know something and we can get food and supplies there too.” Rix grinned.
“Do you have currency?” Valn asked. “Because I don’t think that they are just going to give us food and supplies for nothing.”
“I raided the coffers of the First Prime when I went back to Exalta to see if there were survivors. I have plenty and if I need more I can just go back.” Rix told him.
Valn hesitated then asked what he wanted to know since the disaster that had taken their home world. “Rix, what did you see when you went back? Were there dead everywhere?”
“No.” Rix swallowed down his emotions. “The radiation from the sun exploding burned every living thing on the planet to ash. All that was left was destruction. We won’t ever be able to go back there. Even with a lead lined hazard suit, I was taking a risk going there.”
Valn fell silent as they took off from the planet.
On Centra, Jace stood at the side of the Travelers Bridge looking out over the water. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t see Dallys come up beside him.
The weather was getting colder now and the sky was full of slivery clouds. Both of them had heavy cloaks on but Dallys still shivered from the cold.
“I hope Kavel is warmer than here.” Dallys said mostly to herself.
“It’s always warm there.” Jace looked up at the sky. “It looks like it’s going to snow. I was beginning to wonder if this planet had more than one season.”
“Wincet says the snow can get knee deep at times. I have never seen more than a light dusting and a few flakes in the air.” Dallys shivered again under her cloak. “My planet is not usually very cold. I don’t like the cold.”
“My planet has all manner of weather from hot to freezing cold. It’s always changing.” Jace smiled. “That’s what I have always liked about it. You never get tired of it.”
“It sounds very interesting. I wonder if I will ever get to go there.” Dallys asked. “Do they have fae on your world?”
“No. We just have humans.” Jace smiled. “I don’t think I will ever see Earth again. It’s a good thing that I don’t have anyone back there to miss me.”
“No family?” Dallys turned to look up at Jace.
“No. They’re all dead.” Jace looked down at his hands on the railing. “My mum died of cancer just before I came here.”
“What’s cancer?” Dallys asked.
“It is a disease that wastes you away until there is nothing left to do but die.” Jace pulled the hood of his cloak up and turned around. “Where is everyone else?”
“Nellis and Borne were right behind me.” Dallys said just before she spotted them. “There they are.”
They walked up to where Jace and Dallys were standing.
Nellis handed Dallys a list. “You are in charge of the herbs. Jace and I are getting the rest and Borne is going to carry it all home.”
“Let’s get the shopping done so we can go back to saving the universe, shall we?” Jace walked over into the center of the bridge where a cart was waiting for them. “Where is Wincet?”
“I don’t know.” Nellis shrugged. He and Tona were in the workroom when he gave me the list. “I think we will have a mission waiting when we get back.”
“Good.” Jace nodded. “I don’t like to sit and do nothing for too long.”
“You’re starting to sound like Tona.” Dallys nudged Jace in the arm.
Jace shrugged. “I’m just an intergalactic man of mystery saving the universe one planet at a time.”
“Jace, you are so full of …” Nellis jumped when Wincet tapped him on the shoulder. “Wincet! Hey! I didn’t see you there.”
“Shall we get on with it?” Wincet walked into the center of the bridge and opened the portal. “Make sure you get everything on that list Dallys.”
“Isn’t Tona coming?” Jace asked.
“No I have something I want her to do for me.” Wincet grinned mischievously.
Jace shrugged and pushed the cart through the portal to Kavel. The others followed him through.
Once through the portal, they walked the short distance to the open market and split up and went to get food and supplies.
Borne decided to go with Jace and Nellis. They let him push the car while they stopped at one vendor then another.
They were nearly done when Nellis bumped into a cloaked figure.
“Excuse me. My fault.” Nellis waited for the figure to respond. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes.” The figure pulled back his hood and looked at Nellis. “You’re a Caspirian shifter, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Are you an Exaltanese shifter? I thought you were all killed in the explosion of your star. I’m Nellis by the way.”
“I’m Rix. How did you know about the loss of our home world? No one here seems to know.”
“We were watching as the star exploded. That is, my friends and I.” Nellis pointed to Jace and Borne. “We are a group of travelers that work to make the universe a better place. We had been discussing a mission when we saw the explosion. How many of you kind are left?”
“About forty.” Rix took a moment to regain control of his emotions. “We were scattered on various ships and outposts when our world was destroyed. Now we are gathered on a moon circling a gas giant in the Gax system.”
“Forty?” Nellis shook his head. “There were millions on your world. Will you be rebuilding on the moon?”
“I don’t know. It’s a harsh place.” Rix shrugged. “I’m here on Kavel to get supplies and some answers.”
“Answers?” Nellis asked. He knew he shouldn’t tell this man what he knew until he had spoken to Wincet. To tell Rix would serve no good purpose.
“The person responsible for the murder of my people needs to be brought before us to face the consequences on his actions.” Rix sighed. “It’s the only way to give peace to the dead now.”
Nellis nodded. “My friends and I might be able to help with that but you have to speak to our leader. He’s back at our base on Centra. You could come back with us and speak to him.”
“Thank you but I need to get everything we bought back to our people.” Rix pointed behind hip tp where several ships were sitting on the ground. “My copilot is loading the cargo ship now. How can I get in touch with you?”
Nellis thought for a moment. “How long will it take you to get back to the Gax system?”
“Four hours.” Rix told him.
“We should be done and back to Centra by then. I will speak to our leader and we will come to you. We travel by portal.” Nellis told him.
“That sounds quite handy.” Rix smiled.
“It can be.” Nellis grinned.
“Nellis, who is your friend?” Jace asked. He looked the creature up and down and frowned. It reminded him of an giant eagle.
“This is Rix. He is an Exaltanese shifter and Rix, this is Jace and the one with the cart is Borne.” Nellis looked around and spotted Dallys haggling with a spice merchant. He pointed her out to Rix. “That fae in the blue cloak is Dallys. We are one short today. She had an errand to run for our leader.”
“So many different races and you are all working together. That’s incredible.” Rix was amazed.
Valn ran up to Rix. “We’re all loaded. We should get back now.”
“This is Valn my copilot.” Rix glanced back at Valn. “We had better go. I hope to see you all very soon.”
Rix and Valn turned and went back to their ship and headed back to the Gax system.
“Nellis, what did you say to him?” Jace asked.
“I told him that I would talk to Wincet and see if we could help them find the person that destroyed their world.” Nellis saw the hard look on Jace’s face.” I didn’t tell him that we knew who did it. If I had, he would have just rushed off and got himself in trouble. There are only forty of his kind left I don’t want to be responsible for the death of another.”
“That was a very logical decision.” Borne said. “We need one more thing and then we can go. We need cabbage”
“There’s some down there.” Jace pointed to the cart. “You and I can go, Borne. Nellis can stay here with the cart and try to stay out of trouble.”
Just then, Dallys walked up and put her bag on the cart. “There! I am done. I like it better when Tona comes. She can get a good price without haggling so much. I think they are a little afraid of her.”
“We are all a little afraid of her at times. We’ll be right back.” Jace said then walked to the merchant with Borne.
“Jace seems annoyed with you. What did you do?” Dallys asked.
“I just made a new friend and promised to talk to Wincet on his behalf.” Nellis looked over the cart. “I can’t believe we go through so much in just a few months.”
“I didn’t recognize his race what is he?” Dallys asked.
“He is an Exaltanese shifter.” Nellis pulled at the bag of turnips. “Do you Remember the sun we saw blow up? It destroyed his planet. There are only forty of them left now. They are living on a moon in the Gax system.”
“Did you tell them about Trystana?” Dallys asked.
“No. I thought I had better talk to Wincet first.” Nellis looked over at Jace and Borne who were walking their way. “It looks like we are done.”
When Borne and Jace reached them, Borne put the cabbage on the cart and started to push the cart to the rendezvous point.
“Let’s go.” Dallys started walking in the direction Borne took. “I wonder if it has started to snow yet.”
Jace and Nellis looked at each other then followed her.