Zeus 25 - Praxis

14 - Prisoners

Eudora and Spyro were overjoyed to see Praxis although he arrived with the lizardman. They were in larger and more comfortable quarters than Praxis had occupied, but the big room still had a door made of the same shiny metal bars as his last prison.

"This is HaziKan, think of him like Sadra, but working for a different AvoDar. Their AvoDar is called SaTaan. Those growls, hisses, and clicks are his words, but they get translated through that," he said, pointing to the silvery diamond in HaziKan's forehead."

"We know," Eudora said. "The other lizards wear necklaces with the same diamond."

"Others?"

"The lizard ladies who brought us food aren't as big as him," Spyro said, "but they wear necklaces that speak. They also have collars that have left wear marks on their neck scales."

"I think the collars are permanent. In my opinion they're doeras," Eudora added.

HaziKan had listened to all of this in silence. "They're RazluT," HaziKan said, "LalaT, in The Way of War, gives the losing clan members to the conquering clan. If RazluT work, they are treated well, and the Risss-LuKal clan prospers."

"Doeras," Spyro confirmed.

"After the Great War that drove AvoDar out, LalaT formulated her Way of War to return order to ssKar. Even the RazluT who serve you believe in LalaT and the peace she brought."

"Wait, AvoDar was driven from here? AvoDar wasn't always on Gaia?" Praxis asked.

"Forget AvoDar," Spyro said, "did you just say we're not on Gaia?"

"We're circling a couple of stars you can't can't even see from Atlantis."

"What?" Spyro said. "We're on stars?"

"No, not on them. We're on a different Gaia that these lizards call ssKar, and it's so far away even their stars would be invisible back on Atlantis."

"No," Eudora said.

"I'm afraid so," Praxis said. "And their boss, SaTaan, drove AvoDar from ssKar to Gaia."

"Yes," HaziKan said, "with the help of my clan, the Risss-LuKal. The Great War happened nine thousand years ago by your reckoning."

"Nine thou... but that's longer than the dynasties, before Atlantis was even settled," Eudora mused.

HaziKan's laughing growl startled them all. "Nine thousand years is recent history. AvoDar created the Star Portal to Gaia over two hundred thousand years ago. That portal was used by AvoDar to bring your ancestor's down out of the trees, and, later, to teach them to hunt, farm the land, and make weapons."

"That can't be true," Eudora scoffed.

"Can you show us the two stars?" Spyro asked.

"Easily," HaziKan replied.

"Why haven't Risss escaped the sky-rocks and moved to Gaia?" Praxis said.

"AvoDar would not allow it. His philosophy was to let each world evolve toward complexity on its own. Fortunately, SaTaan thinks differently. We cannot use the Portal while AvoDar is on Gaia, but we're already enroute there with warships that can cross the cosmos."

"You're invading Gaia?"

"Eventually. It may take another thousand years for our ships to reach there, unless AvoDar leaves sooner. He should really bow to the inevitable and leave now since SaTaan has displaced him before."

"And, let me guess, you want us to help you with that?" Eudora said.

"Another bright one," HaziKan said. "Rest, we'll talk again tomorrow, and I'll show you all ssKar." HaziKan turned, his tail sweeping in an arc so that Spyro had to jump to avoid being swept off his feet. He left the room, locking them in on his way out."