Intermission 8: Crystal Thief
Place~ Titlianus Library
Time~ 3 Months before Present Time
I don’t know if this is really such a good idea…
Doubts had started to set in, washing away Joran’s previous sense of bravado. It didn’t help that she found herself jumping at every wayward shadow that drew across the floor of the dusty old library. No matter how many times she visited Golbez’s small living quarters nestled in the secret depths of the Lunarian Stronghold, it always felt like a new adventure.
Of course this time, it’s completely different.
It had taken a lot of planning and coordinating for the girl to be here at this exact place and time. It wasn’t often that Golbez left his chambers. It was even more difficult to draw him away from his studies on the spur of the moment with the hopes that he had forgotten to draw up the defenses of within the room. There was a good chance that Joran could have slipped through the defenses anyways… for his magic had become more and more accustomed to her presence the past few years.
But that’s not something that I could risk. Not considering what I’m about to do…
How Joran had gotten caught up in all of this, she couldn’t remember. She had long-since known about the Crystal. Almost feverishly, Golbez had been constantly busy at work in his chambers, crafting what he referred to as his greatest project. He had even given it a name: Incrytan. Translated, it meant something along the terms of “Key”. And though Joran didn’t know a whole lot about things of this nature, Golbez had once explained to her that Incrytan’s function was exactly that.
The Key Crystal. The thing that she was there to retrieve.
Retrieve… a delicate word…
Joran didn’t want to think about it as stealing. Just the concept of the word put a falter to her step as she crept around the final corner, the dull stone surface of the illusionary wall coming into view. The girl drew in a ragged breath, balling her fist. As if the motion would allow her to grasp the courage she needed to move forward.
This is for his own good! I don’t have a choice… if I don’t take it then, there’s no knowing what is going to happen to Golbez!
-That’s right. You must do this for him.-
A soft voice touched her mind. A voice that Joran knew, even without seeing. It was the Sparrow… the messenger of the Trine.
Not much was known about the Trine anymore… besides the fact that it was a group once made up of three powerful creatures known as Arweinydd. And somehow, this group was involved in affairs of the Lunarian people in a time long before their people’s history could remember.
But now, only two of the three still remained. Despite the fragmenting of the group, when a messenger of the Trine came with instructions, one did not hesitate to respond.
I don’t know why I was the one chosen for this task… or why Golbez’s Crystal is so important. I don’t even know what the Trine wants to do with it… or why they are here, of all places.
So many questions filled Joran’s mind. So many were left unanswered. And the Sparrow never offered more than the smallest hints to keep her going.
-Do not forget, should he complete a Crystal of that power, the danger will be to himself. The song of the Crystals are temptations to the soul. And to one of half-heritage most of all…-
Joran nodded to the shadows, pressing her back to the wall. She had heard the Sparrow’s talk of the Crystals’ temptations. It was hard not to see that as the truth… for Joran herself had felt the pull of the Crystal’s energy whenever she came too near to it.
-You know. You have seen it. The more that he works on it, the more that he obsesses over it. He says that he’s creating a Crystal that will give him the power to unlock the curse placed on his father. But even if he can do that… then what will he do with such a thing of power afterwards?-
The girl had no answer. Joran never did… it was so hard for her to understand the motivations that drove Golbez to do what he did. She knew that there had been a lot of pain in his life. That he had very few memories of the past and felt the intense need to rectify things that he had lost.
But is this the right way of doing it..?
She reached out with one hand, pushing her fingers through the false wall and stepping into the hidden hallway on the other side. No sounds of alarm rang. No sense that she had been spotted and reported.
Just a cold, dusty silence and the pressure of the fortress that stretched far above her head.
Just around the crook in the hallway, Joran could make out the pale glittering light of what could only be Incrytan. To her surprise, the glow pulsed in a regular rhythm, imitating the flow of breath and life. Last time she had seen the Crystal, the light had been far more dim… there was no doubt that Golbez was getting closer to finishing it.
-That’s it… that’s the item that Lady Zazo requires.-
Joran swallowed at the reference to the name. A reminder of who had sent her here. Though she still did not know why.
I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with Incrytan if I DO manage to take it!
With doubts racing rampant through her mind, the girl crept closer towards the silent, hovering stone. Not that she really needed to creep, she discovered. Incrytan either seemed to recognize her or just didn’t care. Either way, it remained quiet even as she drew up close to it.
Nice… and easy… come on now.
Joran watched her reflection extend towards her in the bright surface of the stone as she reached her hand towards the Crystal.
You can do this, Joran SuKi!
Slender fingers trembled, hesitating just inches away from the glow. She had no idea if touching Incrytan would hurt her. For all she knew, it would blast her into a pile of Lunar dust and no one would even know the difference.
Remember why you’re here… Do it for him…
Joran gave a choked gasp. Her hand shot forward, breaking the boundaries of the soft glow. She felt the smoothness of the stone in her palm. The strange, pulsing essence of something that was both inanimate and living simultaneously.
It’s… it’s…
There was a soft tickle in the back of her mind. A welcoming feeling. As if Incrytan was greeting her with a sense of familiarity.
It was so strange… yet the energy felt so good. The girl found herself smiling.
-Joran!- Sparrow’s voice sliced through the Crystal haze sharply. –There is no time to waste! We must bring the Crystal quickly!-
“Right,” Joran breathed to herself.
Then she placed a second hand on the Crystal. One little tug told her that the stone was locked securely in place by a very strong Holding spell. From the feeling of the energy signature, it could have only been cast by Golbez.
This could be a problem…
Focusing her strength, she pulled back. But the Crystal would not budge. Instead it made gentle flickers, outlining the shape of her hands. Almost as if it was laughing.
-Is there a holdup?-
“Yes…” Joran continued to pull backwards, in vain. “I can’t move it! It’s bound to this spot, I think?”
The Sparrow-voice gave a soft sigh.
-I see. I didn’t want to have to do this.. but if there is no other choice…-
“Do…wha…” Joran asked, her voice trailing off as her eyes caught motion reflected in the Crystal’s surface.
Something hovered behind her, growing and expanding. Dark wings stretching wide, wings that were not her own… and certainly could not the little black Sparrow that she had seen before.
What… is…
Joran felt her breath rush from her lungs in a soft whimpering sound as shifting wavers of shadow flowed around her. Feather-like tendrils traced up her arms, wrapping around her wrists and streamed down her fingers into the glow of Incrytan.
At once, the warm, welcoming feeling that the Crystal had greeted her with vanished. It was replaced with a frightened keening of dismay.
What are you doing to it!?
She didn’t know the dark energies that rose around her. She didn’t know exactly what it was doing to Incrytan. But the desperation resounded through every inch of Joran’s being.
This is wrong! We shouldn’t be—
Before the girl could finish her thought, the Crystal gave way in her hands. Joran stumbled backwards with the sudden lack of resistance. And she found herself staring down at Incrytan, now cradled in her arms. She was breathing frantically, the pulse of the stone in time to the rapid beating of her heart. The light within it was somehow more dim.
What happened..?
With a jerk of her head, Joran surveyed the room. There was no sign of the strange darkness anywhere. Only the tiny beaded-eyed Sparrow that was perched on a stack of wayward books near the doorway.
-Quickly!- The flutter of wings left her no time to ponder further.
In the back of her mind, she could feel it. A vast, rageful rush of power. Coming straight for the little underground library. For her… the one who had taken the Crystal. Sudden fear bubbled up within Joran’s chest as she realized the source of the feeling.
Golbez…
The Sparrow fluttered again, this time launching from her perch and swooping straight above the girl’s head. –Follow me!-
For a moment, the Lunar could only stare at the bird’s retreating form. Shock rendered her body useless. Her mouth was dry with overwhelming trepidation.
Maybe it’s not too late to give it back… I could try to explain…?
But the Sparrow-voice would have nothing of it. –Come! Come! Do you think you can reason with anger like that!-
Joran shook her head, mutely. Somehow, she felt her body gather strength. It was a blind rush forward, dodging through the tall, musty shelves. Clutching Incrytan to her chest, breath whistling through her dry lips, she ran. Searching to find the darker form of the Sparrow amongst the now unfriendly rows of tomes.
Where are we going?
Shadows stretched and loomed across her path, no matter how many corners she turned. Dust-blurred eyes distorted vision. She felt a creeping weakness rush over her body wherever the shadows brushed over her.
Were they reaching for her? Were they the dark powers of the once Dark Lord of the Blue Planet?
How can we get away?
Joran’s mind reeled in desperation at all the terrible things that would happen to her if she were to stop running. Spurred on by shadows at her heels and darkness before her, only the dim light of Incrytan lit her way.
Finally, after running for what seemed a very long time, Joran found herself in a small, low-ceilinged chamber. It was a place she had never been to before there in the Library. But then again, she never did take liberty to explore the furthest reaches of the area. Something about it had always felt like walking through a crypt to her.
There was another source of light glimmering from the far side of the room. As she crept forward, Joran’s eyes widened, the glow reflecting off the Crystal in her arms. She had never seen one before, but she knew exactly what it was.
A Wayrift?
The Sparrow dove past her head and capered for a moment above the shimmering oval of light. –Indeed. Now follow.-
“Wait… where does it go?”
– If you want to escape, follow!- The bird said nothing more. Simply a spread of wings and a spiraling swoop. The Sparrow vanished into the churning light of the rift.
Joran paused for a moment, green eyes flicking back over her shoulder in apprehension. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t know if she was doing the right thing. But the shifting of shadows was growing closer. And facing Golbez would likely be far, far more difficult than taking a step into the mysterious flicker of the waiting rift.
Golbez… forgive me!
The girl drew in a last deep breath. With eyes closed, she plunged forward into the Wayrift.