Dearest Sister ¬ Age of Resistance

V.

Current Day

After the revelation that the Skeksis were the one's to murder Mira, the newly freed paladins vowed to rise up against the treacherous savages. Freckles turned to Soraya, his helm in his hands made his face more visible- and in need he was quite attractive. Of course, Seladon didn't see it but that was because she was more invested in pleasing their mother than venturing out of her mind capacity bubble. "Princess Soraya, we will bring down the Skeksis. My word and that of Rian's memories will aid in our victory." Soraya tilted her head back slightly. "You are too formal, Paladin-" She snatched the helm from his grasp causing the Sifan soldier to stutter out of surprise. "Spread awareness. The era of Skeksis' rule will meet it's end." Gently she lowered the helmet onto his head till it fit snug against his wispy hair. Freckles bowed his head, took on last look at the eldest princess before departing with the other paladin.

Freckles was assigned to deliver word to the castle guards, informing them of what really is the spoken truth- of Mira and of Rian's innocence. The other volunteers were to make their way to Stone-in-the-Wood where they wood bring voice to Maudra Fara. Brea came to stand beside her sister who watched on- regality and grace befalling her entire being. Their mother always said that Soraya was the mirror image of her when she was her age minus the disinterest in wanting to be the future All-Maudra. "Thank you, Soraya. I-" Soraya turned to face her youngest sibling whom teetered on the edge of unfallen tears. Little did she know that something far horrible than the taking of her sister and the volunteers took place within the castle. Brea's ears flickered back and forth and the burn within her throat seemed to clog up the will to tell her sister that their mother was dead.

"No need to cry, Brea. I am here and you are safe." Soraya welcomed her sister's sudden force of body onto her own. Brea was known to toss herself unabashedly into the arms of her sister's- moreso Soraya and Tavra, Seladon only accepted the affection when they were younger. Rian turned away from the others to stare at the sister's, not quite knowing if it was the appropriate time to discuss the next motions. Soraya took one long end of her tunics sleeve and dabbed away the freshly fallen tears upon her sisters face, petted her hair down and kissed her forehead. "Cry no more, dear sister." But those words only strained the barely holding dam behind Brea's eye's. She couldn't fathom her sisters reaction to the news but it needed to be said- but now seemed far to soon to say not when she could hardly refrain from being a sniveling mess. "We will head to the Crystal Desert. From there we will go our separate ways." Rian glanced at each individual in the group, awaiting any objections or change of heart but luckily none came. And that gave him hope, although miniscule in size. He was not alone, he did not stand alone nor was he to fight alone.

"We should go now before it gets to dark." Naia turned a suggested brow towards Rian who nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea."

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The trek to the Crystal Desert was far longer than expected and the stone protector wasted no time on stopping- not even for his troop of wary followers. "We've been walking forever- Doesn't Lore ever stop to rest?" Gurjin complained from the back of the gelfling queue as they descended down a worn stairway. "Do rocks need to rest?" Naia sarcastically questioned. "Usually they just lie about." Maudra Laesid always told Naia that she inherited all the intelligence from the womb she shared with her brother- so the answer she received was no slap to the forehead. "Well you're not Lore." She sardonically mumbled which followed up with her own twins grumble of annoyance. "Unfortunately not."

The group made it down the stairway and stood at the edge of the cliff, beyond them along the horizon was a vast desert which twinkled in the setting of the sun. Further off in the distance, large beasts dipped low into the wavering clouds only to come up somewhere farther along. It was beautiful, bathed in the warmth of the sun- oranges, yellows and pinks. "Wow- what a view." Gurjin voiced in awe, the Crystal Desert was nothing like the Swamp of Sog. "What is that?" Naia inquired, her eye's squinting ever so slightly from the brightness. "The Crystal Desert." Brea replied from the front of the group. "It's beautiful." Not in all her trines did Deet ever think to see such an experience, the sights of the lands above proved to be no sight for sore eyes. "They say the sands never stop shifting, crossing the desert on foot would be just as easy as walking on water." Kylan mused from beside Deet.

"We should set up camp for the night- see what solutions the morning offers." Everyone turned to Deet whom proposed the only feasible solution for the ending day. "I'll start a fire." Naia turned and shoved her brother off to in the direction of where she was to begin the source of warmth for the night. Gurjin protested at the rough handling of his sister but nonetheless got the hint to help her out. "Hup, help me find some wood." Kylan turned away from Deet and her podling companion who gave a bravado at being asked for assistance but seemed clueless on where to even find any wood. Soraya remained gazing off towards the horizon even when Brea left her side to seek comfort alone. Behind her, Naia and Gurjin continued their bantering. "Looks like another night spent sleeping on the ground."

"Must you complain about everything?"

"It's not my fault everything's terrible."

A few moments passed with their mutters dying down till Gurjin came to stand behind Soraya, Naia right beside him. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Soraya glanced over her shoulder at the two but only Gurjin was in her line of sight."Yes." His sister replied shortly. The tall gelfling turned his gaze from the desert to the pair of eyes looking back at him. Gurjin blinked listlessly at Soraya who eyed him with hidden curiosity. Being a Vapran and a princess at that meant encountering other's outside of Ha'rar was slim to none- so being in the presence of not only one but four clans was quite an experience. Although, this one she already had the pleasure of meeting once before.

"I remember you." Soraya fully turned her body to face the two, catching Gurjin by surprise at her sudden adress. "Who? Me?" The princess nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Are you sure? I think I would have remembered if I met a princess- ouch!" Naia, never once blinking stomped a solid foot onto her brothers causing him to jump back in pain. "I apologize, what my brother lacks for a brain is instead put into his mouth." Gurjin scowled, his hands nursing the top of his foot till the throbbing lessened to a dull ache. "No need."

"You said you remember him?"

"Yes, several eons ago I found my presence was needed in the castle of the crystal regarding business with the ornamentalist. Unfortunately, I was casted away with no prior knowledge of the way I came. So I stumbled upon three castle guards." Rian who stood nearby, looked up in realization that he too met the eldest princess. "Rian being one and your brother being another."

"What of the third?"

Soraya remained quiet, it was odd seeing that gelfling plain as day in her mind yet knowing she walks no more. "That would be Mira. I am sure you are aware of what's happened to her."

"Of course." Naia turned away, shoved her brother once more and tended to the fire once again. Rian came to stand before Soraya. "You knew her? Mira?"

"A Vapran knows all of it's clan." Soraya didn't just know who she was, no- she knew where she grew up, her parent's, siblings, how many freckles she had on her face and even her favorite season. Mira was a friend, although grown apart in distance and duty but nonetheless a friend. Rian paused, his mouth opening and closing eyes downcast before coming up to meet that of Soraya's. "Do you... know?" The stonewood gelfling wondered for the time they've trekked if the princess knew of her mother's passing, for she shown no sign of grief. Soraya was waiting for that question. Although she expected her sister to ask- to blabber out between her tears that their mother was dead but she didn't. Not that the turmoil in her eyes wasn't enough to see that she wanted so badly to say it. Soraya casted her gaze towards the desert once again and Rian felt that maybe she didn't want to talk anymore but her next words surprised him.

"The All-Maudra is dead."

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" Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. "

- Dr. Seuss

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A/N

Dun dun dun! Next chapter will be explaining how she already came to know of her mothers passing and a the ceremony for the All-Maudra.