Chapter Text
The three suns beat down on a different layout of sand dunes than yesterday. From the desert rose waves of uncaring heat. Like an oven, the warmth became unbearable and Hup felt he might cook alive if he stayed outside much longer. He turned back into the safety of the Circle of The Suns, pushing the cloth aside as he entered. The smell of urdrupes hit his nose with little effect. He had spent so much time here the smell had become background. He opened and closed his hand, rolling his shoulder still in its sling which he had worn for almost half a trine now. His shoulder joint, collarbone, and arm had fractured After skekMal The Hunter threw him into a wall. He had spent this past half-trine healing under the expertly slow, methodical hand of urGoh The Wanderer. The urRu had been his main caretaker, with his counterpart skekGra being more focused on keeping updated on the world outside the Crystal Dessert.
"Arm...should be...healed...now," the mystic said in his usual slow drawl. The Wanderer had been up on his usual platform, smoking the urdrupe berry concoction from his pipe. He exhaled a large stream of smoke from his nose, taking up his walking stick and turning to walk down to the podling. Hup decided to help save the urRu the walk and made his way up the platform, meeting him halfway. The mystic set down his stick and carefully made his way about untying the sling from around Hup's neck. The podling then carefully moved his arm and hand about every which way he could. The bones had healed nicely, and the joint hadn't sealed together which was good.
His arm glided smoothly and he had little time to really get used to moving his arms again when skekGra The Heretic made one of his usual entrances.
"You're healed?!" he ask-yelled. "Good. Now is the time for your return."
The skekSis turned and quickly stepped away to the other side of the circle, towards his den. Hup looked back to urGoh, who just slowly shrugged both pairs of arms. Hup just turned to follow the skeksis as the urRu turned back to his platform and hookah.
"Go you must," the skekSis said, back still turned. "Go. To the Dark Wood you must return. A large part you yet have to play."
Hup didn't say anything, just stared in confusion at the skekSis. It was more the shock of seemingly being forced from recovery into a new quest. He had had no proper recovery period and was already being told to shove off.
"Packed for you I have," skekGra continued speaking, his back turned. "Provisions you will need for your journey. Much food, and plenty of water you will have. The desert is not a hospitable place for such a small podling slave."
"Hmph!" Hup humphed. He didn't like being called that at all. He had put up with it this long time, unable to leave the circle given its height, but it was still annoying.
"Prepared you will be for the long journey ahead of you," skekGra spun, almost knocking Hup back to the ground but the podling ducked quickly out of the way. He held a small bag in his hand and stuck it out to the little podling.
Hup just slowly took the bag and, still unsure of what was happening given he was unable to process what was happening.
"Bodyee nyuncechas ouamo!" the podling protested, finally finding the ability to speak.
"Into the future I have seen," skekGra pointed to the podling. "Towards Stone-in-the-Wood. Join the Resistance you will, meet back with your friends you must."
"But Hup-"
"Hup...should...rest," urGoh finished for the podling. "Very...hot...the...day...will... be. Strength...he must...rebuild. Leave...at...night. When brothers...have...set...and...air...is ...cooler."
"Hmm...very well," skekGra grumbled, rubbing the spike in his head. "Makes sense. More time to heal and prepare. Sure."
The skeksis walked off and Hup heaved a sigh. He'd still have to leave, but later, in more favorable conditions.
~~~~~
And just like that the day passed with the three brothers dipping below the horizon as the moon rose in the endless chase of her daughter's killers. The air cooled to more favorable conditions and the podling breathed heavily, taking up the pack skekGra had put together for him. Hup looked inside and saw the rations of food he had. Foreign objects stood out to him, so those would come last, but he recognized some of the food. That he would eat first. He also had two skins of water that he would have to make last. He shouldered the bag over his shoulder and took up his spoon, holstering it at his hip. He walked to the curtains and stood on the threshold.
He just stood there. He couldn't move, unable to find his footing. He stepped out and he would be on his own until Stone-in-the-Wood. Alone in the world again. Even though he knew it wouldn't be for long, it was still frightening for such a little podling. His heart beat quickly and the spoon he had on his hip seemed to weigh much more than it had before. He looked at the pile of stones that had used to be Lore. The stone golem had led them here after rescuing them from the skekSis' prison cart. He had been the one to carry them up here, meaning Hup also had to climb his way down. He didn't do well with heights.
"Hurumm," urGoh groaned, stirring from his sleep. "What...is...wrong...little podling?"
The mystic looked down on the podling from up high on his platform. There was a kindness and understanding in his eyes that eased Hup into a calm. Like the urRu would be able to read his mind and understand his fears. The four armed creature nodded as if in answer to his unspoken inquiry.
"Hup not ready," the podling said. He looked down at his feet, shifting them as he took off his cap in shame. He wanted to be a paladin, but he was afraid of stepping from the Circle of the Suns. Not very knightly to be afraid of a task given to you by Thra itself.
"Hup...never be ready," he added with a small voice. His shoulders slouched as the weight pushed down on him.
"Hm," The Wanderer pondered. He took up his walking stick and slowly made his way down to the podling. The shuffling was quiet but it still stirred the sleeping skekGra from his slumber. He was too tired to make much noise, but he looked to the meeting between the mystic and the podling from a distance.
urGoh stopped right in front of Hup and the little podling looked up to the larger mystic, afraid to make eye contact from his shame. But there was something about The Wanderer that Hup could trust. He looked up into the eye of the mystic who then laid one of his four hands on the podling, motioning to the ledge outside the entrance.
"Come...with...me," he said, voice much deeper from his sleep grogginess.
The podling let the mystic lead the way out the curtains to the ledge that looked over the Crystal Desert. With the moon full shining down on the sands, the tiniest particles caught the light, looking like stars themselves in the marching sands. The larger crystalline structures that jutted from the sand shone with the moonlight like brilliant galaxies all on their own. The cool air was colder than inside the Circle, but urGoh didn't seem bothered. Hup on the other hand fought back a few shivers until the urRu tore off a piece of cloth from his robes around him and formed, right there, a perfectly sized coat for the podling. Hup pulled it on, warming up quickly once the fabric was around his body.
"No one...is...ever...ready," the mystic said. "The...greatest heroes...none of them... were...ever...ready. But the path...calls...to you. You can't...ignore...Thra's...call...forever. No...not ready...but...prepared. You...are...prepared. You have...all...you need. You...just... need...to...take...your...first...step."
Hup felt a little better, looking down to the ground below and immediately regretting it. He snapped back up, looking straight across the desert, which looked endless.
"Long way down," he said.
"Ahh," the mystic said. "No...problem. Here."
He reached into his robes and pulled out the gem device that had activated Lore before.
"A few...modifications...I...have...made," he said. "A friend...to...join you...on... your...journey."
He handed it to Hup, who looked at it before turning and quickly returning inside to Lore's pile of stone. He put the device on the carved rocks, which started to vibrate and rebuild themselves. Hup looked up as the golem reassembled. The hulking figure looked at his newly formed body before looking down on the podling.
"Lore?" Hup asked.
The large creature leaned down and seemingly looked at Hup with recognition before nodding. Hup could help but feel overwhelmed at the golem's reanimation. He no longer felt alone. He felt a bit better. Like he actually had a chance to do this.
"Oh!" skekGra exclaimed. "That reminds me! I too have something else for you."
The skekSis stumbled around the dark, muttering to himself as he shifted through a bunch of things. He cursed in tongues Hup didn't recognize. Except the podling ones. The Heretic grabbed the spike in his head and jiggled it around a little.
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "That's where."
The skekSis turned and began looking around another spot. urGoh came up behind Hup and looked at his counterpart, sharing an amused look with Hup before returning to his platform.
"Ah!" skekGra said, turning back to the podling. He held two of his arms behind his back and walked back towards Hup.
"Surprise!" he exclaimed, showing off what made Hup's eyes widen with delight. "I created them myself."
The skekSis was proud of himself, as he should have been. Before Hup was a sword, much like the one Rian had yielded when skekMal attacked, but it had been sized down. The handle was smaller and fit nicely in his hand. The blade wasn't too long and was wieldable for a podling just his size.
"A fine blade if I say so myself," skekGra smiled. "Worthy of a paladin, no?!"
Hup took the blade and admired the craftsmanship. He had been so focused on the personalized sword he hadn't noticed the other gift. A bow and quiver filled with arrows that also fit his size.
"A bow and arrows," skekGra continued smiling. "Fashioned from urVa's very own bow and arrows. May the spirit of The Archer live on with you."
Hup sheathed the sword at his side, next to his trusty spoon. He slung the bow and quiver over his other shoulder, opposite his bag shoulder and pulled his cap back onto his head.
"Hup prepared," he said, standing proudly.
He turned to Lore and climbed up onto the stone creature's back. He looked back one last time to the skekSis and the urRu. He didn't know if he'd see them again, but they had helped him so much. Almost too much.
"Fala vam," he thanked in his language.
skekGra walked up to the podling on Lore's back, a rare calm in his own eyes.
"Trabom," he said in Hup's tongue, extending his hand up to the podling. "Hup The Honorable."
Hup was filled with the feeling of greatness. He felt like a paladin now. He reached out his own hand and shook with The Heretic.
"Fala avo," skekGra continued. "Zodzenpo."
Hup nodded.
"Zodzenpo," he repeated the farewell.
skekGra let go and backed away from Lore. Hup spun back to the golem and drew his spoon, pointing ahead to the horizon.
"Nabrushoo," he said. "Stone-in-Wood."
Lore jittered with excitement before taking off with Hup clinging to his back. Hup laughed in excitement as Lore climbed down the spire the Circle of The Suns sat atop with ease. In no time, Hup was on the ground and Lore had turned, jogging towards their destination. Hup noticed a pile of robes at the base of the spire as they ran off. The final resting place of The Archer. Hup turned away, towards the winds they were running into. He then began to sing the funerary dirge of his people. It was the least he could do to remember the mystic that had given his own life to save Hup's friends. Beings he had not known personally. Such a selfless act couldn't go forgotten.
"Tindyebo Bekua Staba doga alori
Shyata-oyo zeshaba aduma doda avi
Yamda bi kiraba Vapa So shi
Dze Aslampia'pida ya utomshi
Boka babi, yamda shoshi ashao
Ada bao temar mots nyotyano
'Yeta'pida soraro?' bao temar'ashai
Aslampia shyayo adado vatai
'Apada arwe shi. Apadido dana
Aslam mala-ga zagazaba ya Thra.'"
The wind was freezing and bit into the podling despite the warming mystic cloth around his body. Yet this wouldn't stop him. He was a paladin on a mission from Thra. He wouldn't let anyone down.