Ch9-5: Lunarian Homecoming
Finally, Golbez has the Rifts working again! I have been away far too long!
After having spent so much time on the Blue Planet, returning back to the Lunar Homeworld was an anxious thing for FuSoYa. Though Golbez had chosen to remain, for now, back on the Blue Planet, there were far too many things that did not run themselves when FuSoYa was away.
Who knows what trouble I will find in the Stronghold.
The ancient Lunar wiped the beads of sweat from his brow as he made his way up the white steps into the fortress. It was now what could be considered mid-summer there. The heat and humidity made it nearly impossible to be anywhere outside of the cooling crystalline walls of the fortress – it was part of the magic that Golbez had built into the structure when the area was first being settled.
It is both a blessed and a cursed landscape here.
Sometimes FuSoYa wondered if it had been the wisest thing to do, simply settle on the first spot that they had found on this new planet. But having waited so long to establish a home upon the Blue Planet and to come up empty handed… it had been hard for him to wait any longer.
Perhaps it was a reckless thing to do. But the energy of the Red Moon was waning the further we traveled.
So far, there had been no sign of other peoples there within the area that the Lunars had explored on the new Homeworld. That didn’t mean that other people didn’t exist somewhere beyond the lush tropic lands and the great beasts of the forests. But FuSoYa wasn’t so concerned about other peoples as he was about simply seeing their own people survive in the new, wild landscape.
This has not been an easy transition for any of us. It does not help that the majority of the colonists that are here are merely children that were saved from the Manor.
Whether anyone else had survived the destruction of Runne, FuSoYa did not know. He only knew that he and KluYa had managed to rescue a small number of children from the planet’s fiery fate. Ever since that terrible day, FuSoYa had made it his responsibility to lead the remaining generation of their society and do everything he could to see that it lived and flourished.
It was all far easier said than done.
FuSoYa pushed the doors to his private office open only to find everything in a terrible disarray. All of his books lay scattered about the room, some of them hanging off of the shelves. If there had been any order to his papers and studies, that, too, was scattered across the room, looking more like makeshift wallpaper than research had a right to.
There were sticky spots across the floor where some of his tomes had been bound for weeks. A strange, tangy smell reached his nose, telling him of something half-eaten laying hidden under all of the mess somewhere.
In the middle of it all, three pairs of bright green eyes stared at him. The shock of being caught in his office, upon his desk, in the middle of such a mess, was written plainly over the young Lunars’ faces.
“What is the meaning of this?” FuSoYa grated from between clenched teeth.
One Lunar child began to stammer at the sight of FuSoYa. But try as he might, no words escaped his lips.
Finally, another managed to speak, “High Sage FuSoYa! We… we…”
“We’re so glad you’re still alive!” another one squeaked. “We didn’t think you were coming back. You were gone so long!”
“Inform me of what that has to do with me returning to find my office like this?” FuSoYa arched a bristling eyebrow.
“Um… It was the snakes. They made an infestation!” the first spluttered quickly, motioning to the window.
“I see.” FuSoYa turned to observe the tightly closed – and locked — window. Then his sharp eyes fell back upon them.
They all knew, afterall, the things that they called “snakes” for lack of a better name, were actually more like dragon-serpents in size. There was no way for one of those creatures to get through the window without damaging it… and likely the whole wall as well.
The room fell silent as the three wayward Lunar children decided that their only hope was to make a break through the open doors on the other side of the chamber. They scattered with a yelp, leaving the High Sage sighing at the mess around him.
“I do not understand what part of cleanliness that children simply do not understand,” he grumbled half to himself, half to the offending desktop not far away. He didn’t dare try to take a seat.
What he had really wanted to do upon getting back home was dive right into follow-up research on some of the things that his research group had discovered during their time in the libraries of the Blue Planet. Now FuSoYa would have access to his own documents as well as the many tomes of the underground Lunar library. That which was only hinted at in the Blue Planet texts may have more answers if he just looked in the right place.
The Darkstar… the Sygnus… Dreigiau and Luccious. All these old legends that never died. They come back again, unfinished, waiting for us to write the next chapter.
Unfortunately, research for the next chapter of history couldn’t begin until his office saw a proper cleaning. There was no way he could concentrate in such a clutter… much less the tang of stench.
With a grumble, the ancient Lunar began to pluck books and other scattered belongings from the sticky floor. FuSoYa had not so much as cleared a single corner, however, before a quiet knock came on his door. Blowing the long strands of hair out of his face, he uprighted himself and turned bristly eyebrows at the sound.
“Who bothers me now?”
The door squeaked open slowly, as if the squeaker on the other side was having second thoughts about entering the Sage’s den. Two bright green eyes and a freckled face peeked around the edge of the doorframe, the voice reverent and kept at a polite level, “Master FuSoYa? Are you really home?”
Of all the squeakers there could be, the Sage found himself pleased to see this one. “Indeed, Young NaTu. I am finally back.”
“May I report, Master?”
“Yes, come in, child,” FuSoYa spoke softly.
Encouraged, the boy stepped forward, surveying the destruction around him in a mute sort of shock. There was little doubt that he had nothing to do with the raid on FuSoYa’s belongings. Afterall, when the High Sage gave an order, NaTu was one of the few that followed it to the last letter.
Which is why his duty was to guard the Crystal Room.
It was also the reason why Young NaTu was his prized student. The Lunar boy was the only child in the Stronghold that had shown an early aptitude for Mind Magery – an Athrylith like himself. Which was not surprising given who his parents had been.
“What is the matter, NaTu?” the Sage asked after a long moment of open mouthed awe from the boy.
“Master… who did this to your quarters?” NaTu finally asked with a firm purse of his lips. As if he would have taken it upon himself to see justice done.
“Just the riff-raff troublemakers, I’m afraid,” FuSoYa sighed, picking up another book.
Before the Sage could blink, the young Athrylith was rushing about, picking up books and papers, far more spry than FuSoYa could hope to be. “I’m sorry, Master! I didn’t know that anyone had come up here! I wouldn’t have let them touch anything if I had known.”
“Yes. Yes. I’m aware of that, NaTu. This is not your responsibility,” the old Lunar waved a hand at the boy to calm him.
Always just a tad over-zealous… like his father used to be. Hopefully the boy will outgrow that.
“Responsibility…” Just as suddenly, the boy set the accumulated pile of books and papers on the desk, giving a little shudder, “Master FuSoYa. That’s actually what I came here to report about.”
The grave tone of NaTu’s voice turned the Sage’s head. Eyes sharp, attention focused, FuSoYa frowned, “Please continue?”
“I’ve been watching over the Crystals in the Chamber as you instructed me to,” the Athrylith began, working to pick his words carefully. “No one else has had access to the Crystals. I’ve made very sure of it, Master.”
“That is good.”
“Thank you, Master,” the boy bobbed his head, ever polite. But also not one to be swayed off of his train of thought, he continued, “Ever since you were gone, I’ve been noticing some sort of disruption within the energy signatures of the Crystals. Over time, it’s gotten worse. I’m not sure what the cause could be. But lately, it is almost dangerous to approach the chamber for all the imbalance of energy in the room.”
“Dangerous?” FuSoYa lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes, Master. Last week, I witnessed streaks of energy being emitted from a number of the Crystals,” NaTu answered. “Since then, they’ve been randomly displaying this activity. I’m really afraid of going in there… and I’ve made triple sure that no one else has.”
The Sage fell quiet, running the thoughts through his mind.
The boy took it as a hint that he should attempt to continue, even though he had said all the important bits he knew to say, “I’m really not sure what has caused this. As I said, no one has been in there to meddle with the Crystals. And I haven’t done anything that I don’t normally do when taking care of–”
FuSoYa lifted one hand. “I know, Young NaTu. This was nothing of your doing.”
“Oh?” the boy’s eyes widened a little, “Then… do you know what is causing it?”
“Yes,” the ancient Lunar answered gravely, one hand stroking through his beard. “There has been an incident with the Crystals on the Blue Planet.”
“Blue Planet? But Master… haven’t you just returned from there?” NaTu asked.
“Yes…” FuSoYa murmured quietly.
I did not think about this kind of danger. If the Crystals that we keep here are balanced by those of the Blue Planet… when the Crystals were destroyed there, that may cause an imbalance with the remaining Crystals here. There is no telling what it could do.
NaTu’s mouth dropped open. His freckles stood out more than usual as his face grew pale.
FuSoYa caught the expression, knowing at once that the boy had overheard. At first, he wondered if he had mistakenly spoke the words aloud… until he remembered NaTu’s Mind Mage tendencies. Having been around the humans for so long, people who were far less mind sensitive, he had gotten out of the habit of watching his stream of conscious thought.
“NaTu,” the Sage gave a disapproving frown.
“I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t mean to!” the boy dropped his head in shame.
“Nothing that can be done for it,” FuSoYa gave a low grunt. “You will keep this information to yourself. Your punishment will be to help me figure out what must be done to contain the Crystals.”
The young Athrylith bowed even lower, “Yes Master.”
If only the rest of the children were so sensible…
The Sage mused to himself for a moment before realizing that his student was not uprighting himself. He sighed, “Is there something else?”
“Actually… yes… there is.”
“Continue then.”
“It’s about the Moon,” NaTu answered, slowly lifting his head again. When his eyes met the ancient Lunar’s gaze, there was a deep concern. “Something’s been happening to it… and I wondered if there was some connection to what is happening to the Crystals.”
“What have you observed?” FuSoYa furrowed his brow.
“It’s getting brighter every night,” the boy replied. “I thought it was my imagination at first. But now I’m sure that the Moon is turning red.”