Rebellion and New Life

Chapter 22

For the next three cycles of the Sister moons, Sil and La would both be under guard by their clan and Sil was not to leave the castle again, for a long time. It wasn't like he wanted to anyway. He no longer had those cravings, and he felt too distraught due to the loss of his child as to want to get out. The two missed each other like crazy.

At first, Sil didn't want to eat anything, or be near any of the others. He fell into a deep depression, something unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Ekt repeatedly tried to bring him food from the kitchen, but he just wouldn't touch it. And he had been forbidden to be near his mate, the only other Skeksis who shared his pain and could offer him comfort.

The other Skeksis had never seen the Chamberlain look or feel so forlorn. It wasn't like him. The Illustrator was no better. She still did her work for others, but clearly wasn't happy either. She just seemed to do things mechanically, without a will or energy to them, it was like something had died inside her. It was a sad time for both of them.

Tek did let Sil have some essence again as well. It did revitalize the Chamberlain, but it still didn't provide true happiness as much as it used to. He was faintly glad for that anyway, that he could finally have essence again without an issue, to at least take some of the body pains away.

Without his baby nursing on him, Sil's milk supply began to dry up after a period of time. Aside from loving his mate, he had never known he would have cared as deeply for another living being like that. Losing the baby had torn out a part of himself. He was also losing weight. He had to lose some anyway from the baby weight, but the constant loss he was suffering was due to depression and his reluctance to eat.

He would blame himself for the rest of his life for losing his child. His and La's child. No matter the punishment. This was the biggest and worst punishment ever; to have lost their baby and not be able to see or talk to his mate.
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It was a relief when La and Sil's punishment was finally over. They still wouldn't show public displays of affection, but when they got the chance, they snuck off to just spend a night together. Then they held each other tight and talked for hours. They just needed to be close to each other.

The other Skeksis had not let them meet for so long, it was so good and healing to be in each other's arms again. At least they still had each other.

And the Emperor didn't have a young contender for the throne to worry about.
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The Gelfling family was raising Ryuu well. He was responding to their love and attention. He was fed Nebrie milk. He took to recognizing them as his family. Chet and Mivoda accepted him as if he was their own child too.

Unums later, some of his first teeth began appearing. Ryuu wasn't happy with the teething time, but just as with little Julli, he went through a lot of things that she did. He was introduced to solid foods, but was still fed on Nebrie milk awhile longer. Of course, it would remain a part of his life for a long time.

Over a trine later, Ryuu learned to talk for the first time too. He did have a weird sound to his voice, but he made a special sound. He even knew the sound of his name.
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As he got older, his adoptive parents taught him the meaning of shame and guilt. When to be proud of something. The young Skeksis knew that he was different when he saw his reflection in the mirror or a pond. He definitely wasn't the same as his parents and his siblings. He wondered what he was.

"What am I, Dad?" he asked Chet.

"You are my son, Ryuu." he said.

"I know, but I don't look like a Gelfling. What am I really?" Ryuu asked.

"A lizard. That's all I know." Chet replied. "Just one that has a bird-like face."

Ryuu wished he could know more. But he was never told of the Skeksis. Chet didn't want him to know until he was at least a little older.

Ryuu was only eight trines old. He played with his Gelfling siblings just fine. He wasn't much trouble at all, but still caused mischief like any child does. He ate what the Gelflings ate. It was the only foods he was raised on, despite what his teeth looked like.

He wore Gelfling garb, and he had his own hair by now. His skin was purple-grey, like Sil's, and he had his father's green eyes too, but his hair color was more from La. He also had Sil's smile.

Sometimes a wild animal would catch his fancy, but Ryuu had been taught how to live in harmony with the wildlife. That they were friends. Animals could teach so much if someone took the time to listen.

Ryuu was also a big help gathering crops from the fields every day. And helping with the bigger stuff too as he got older. He would be able to reach higher than what even his 'parents' couldn't.

But outside this quiet life, other Gelfling clans and families were caught and killed for their essence still.
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The Skeksis had come up with a new breed of animal to work for them: the Crystal Bats. They spied and found many Gelflings and other creatures for the Skeksis to use or eat in the castle. Now, Garthim did the majority of hunting for the Skeksis' food.

Over these long trines, Sil and La were still close as ever, but didn't dare to mate again. They didn't want to bring another offspring into the world and fearing they might lose it too. Chamberlain was still deeply upset about that, but he had humbled himself down more. He didn't cause trouble quite as much as before, but would if it called for it.

It had taken him a long time to get back to near normal, or to feel like he had a purpose again. But he was still the Emperor's adviser. He had managed to work his way back up into a high position.
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Fourteen trines came and went, and Garthim and Gelfling wars were still going on. The Gelfling numbers were really beginning to dwindle. Ryuu had made it to his teen trines.

When he had turned thirteen, Ryuu had also started growing the spikes on his back. This was just something he didn't understand, something the Gelflings couldn't help him with. Anytime a Gelfling had ever seen the Lords in these last generations, they didn't know they had spikes. They had been hidden under all their robes.

Ryuu's family still hadn't been discovered for so long due to their home's secluded location, but when his family was seen by a Crystal Bat, they did not notice. It was cause for an alarm.

Ryuu wasn't seen with them. He went off on one of his explorations and was talking with his animal friends, something he had learned how to do at a young age.