Tales from Dreamspace

Spilled

The sound of the poddling's music in the grand hall was an observed contrast to the music they would perform in their small villages that SkekNie would often hear when passing through various villages. Her taste for music was a mixed bag, for she didn't care for the over joyous music that they would play in their taverns either. She would feel comfortable with the song tellers of the Spriton with their harps and flutes, a cadence that would seem to fit her flow of movement in her walk: simple, yet productive. She thought the same theology for anything she had to accustom to for the everyday, unlike the other lords who prefer to be noticed and cover themselves with loudness. More likely to SkekEkt the Orientalist.

As SkekNie waited for her requested plate of food to be presented to her so she could eat away from the grand hall, she watched as the Orientalist graced their way to their seat in such an attempt to look regal it made the Scout shaking her head. It wasn't clear to SkekNie's mind how SkekEkt identified themselves, not given a characteristic that gave that away; but in the end, it was all about the grandness and sophistication of the design choices in relation to all the skeksis that boast them to puff with pride. What most skeksis don't know and SkekNie always suspected was that SkekEkt would always chew around their claw whenever they are alone, trying to relieve themselves of the pressure of the personal they have to wear like a mask. She saw this happen one evening whilst had to wait outside their chamber for the hand overdress that they reluctantly gave to the Scout trines ago. But today, it was another day of gorging down the food prepared for the keepers of the Crystal of Truth.

One of the poddlings carried a plate, ready to lead her onto the table. SkekNie shook her head. "I prefer to carry my plate, you can barely keep up, and how are you to be sure my food wouldn't drop?" Nie never cared for the poddlings of the castle, nor those who cower and gravel with such haste. She took the plate from his hands, and as Nie turned to make her way to her chamber through the hall, SkekNie's tail whacked the poddling to the ground as it reached his face.

As the lords feasted in a devouring way, Nie couldn't help but feel her scared face sting, remembering the last time she ate like that and now it caused some stitches to fall off. Since that time with SkekMal after her rescue, the Scout was cautious of how she ate, realizing that the foods in the castle seemed too rich and heavy in contrast to the organic feel of roasted meat and found vegetation. Her plate was only consistent with such, except for a rich cream made of sour melon with a white wine influence to it. All she wanted before retreating to her chamber was a sweet liquor that was spared in between Ekt and Sil, the two skeksis she didn't want to go near a six-foot distance from. Still, Nie made her way, feeling the stick of various disregarded fats, parts, and liquids that the lords decide to throw down to the floor. What she wasn't aware of was a mystery substance that caused the navy blue skeksis to slip and nearly fell to the floor, only to catch the Ordimentalist's seat with the sound of a scream and clanging of metal plates. Nie looked up to see an angry SkekEkt standing over her, their head covered in various foods and the cream that Nie rather favored and was formally looking forward to.

"You klutzy snip!" They exclaimed with a shriek that echoed in the hall, causing everyone to stop eating and turning to look at the source of the noise. "Look at my beautiful ware, and my face!" They pointed to the pale face now showing their natural skin color due to the cream making its way down their face. "This powder took me many trines to perfect, not that you would know, scarface!"

Nie stood up straight to look into the orientalist's eyes. "Perhaps if you hadn't discarded the wine upon the floor, your face wouldn't be in danger of such hazard. Of course, the powder already did enough damage with all the bids you experiment with."

Everyone stared at the two skeksis, wondering how Ekt would react to Nie's bold comment. Ekt stood up, and march over, facing the Scout. "Surprised you haven't cleaned the floor as of yet, you would have filled up more instead of walking around like a sticky frail landstrider."

"Well, at least I don't have to kill hundreds of birds to look like a podling's glorified feather duster." Nie smiled, feeling proud of herself for that insult. She could hear various comments from the lords, including Sil's signature whimper. "Oh wait, I'm sorry, you can't be one because they generally don't carry a stink from the oils and perfume that is stuck to which your skin is forced to wear."

Ekt growled as they listened to the insults, only to lean in as their face changed into a wicked sneer. As they edged closer into a whisper only Nie could hear, "You are close to being as savage as the Hunter, that is if he didn't scalp your head and displayed it as a trophy close to his balls."

Nie's eyes widened and her face body burned with anger with the insult that the Orientalist had placed in the Scout's ear. She growled and pushed SkekEkt to where both skeksis crashed upon the table. Food scattered all over them as the two rolled around the broken table. Most of the skeksis already backed from the table, while most were amused with the show going on before them, there were still a few disgusted with the behavior that was unfolding before them. SkekSo, while at the cost of a meal, was pleased to see the Scout at her strongest, he knew that behaviors like this from any of the lord of the crystal are considered to be unacceptable at this time. Yet, this was an exception.

He looked upon SkekVar and SkekTek, to which he ordered them to break off the fight. Tek was the closest to Ekt at the time, so he aided them by waiting for SkekVar to grab Nie by her arms and pulled her away and close to his chest. She was panting hard with food and creams dripping from her face, which she looked in better condition compared to Ekt as amounts of makeup, liquids, and food-stained their outfit and skin, their red hair came undone, covering their eyes which burned with anger. Nie couldn't hear the words of any skeksis that commented as she made her way outside the hall to clean herself up, yet she didn't want to go to the baths. All she wanted was to be outside and allow the river below the castle to clear her burning anger. And when she did make it to the banks of one of the canals, a set of talons were wrapped around her, a hot tongue licked her neck and cheek from the various foods. Nie tilted her head and tasted the hunter as she bathed with her predator.