Chugga-chugga had caught up with Crystaline and Yullom at last, and the two chuggas rose into the air, side by side, in perfect sync with one another.
As Yullom and Chugga-chugga hovered in the air, side by side, soaking up the rays of golden sunlight, James’ eyes moved to Crystaline’s. Her face was glowing, with happiness! The sun’s stunning scintillating rays sent glitters of gorgeous light glowing off of the chugga’s wings, until the two chuggas, fluttered their wings into full flight once again.
James enveloped his arms around Chugga-chugga, holding onto his creature friend, as they sailed through the purple skies. Yullom and Crystaline were only moments away, cruising through the skies with such a swift peaceful agility.
As James looked beneath him, he noticed that there was blue in the distance. The blue reminded him of water, of the sea! Did Urasha have a sea?
“Hey, Crystaline?” James called out to her.
“What?” The Urashan princess answered.
“What’s that? That blue?”
“It’s water, a large pool of it. Our Island isn’t far from the shoreline. The healing stone is practically beneath us.”
James felt Chugga-chugga lowering through the sky, following Yullom and Crystaline as they headed straight for the water.
As James focused even harder on the pool beneath him, he noticed the little land mass, which was barely even separated from the shoreline. This must be the island which Crystaline was referring to? The one with the healing stone?!
As James felt himself sinking further and further through the breezy skies, he watched as the island grew bigger and bigger, until eventually, he and Chugga-chugga landed softly on its sandy shores.
Chapter 23
James hopped free from Chugga-chugga, tentatively walking towards the little island’s shoreline. As he waited for the rest of his companions to join him, James knelt beside the familiar blue seawater, taking a gentle little cup of it in his hands. The water was shallow, waist high at its highest level.
“So this is how we’d have reached the island?” James whispered, “We’d have waded our way through this little ocean?”
“Yes,” Crystaline answered, hopping off of her pink chugga friend. “It gets deeper though, much deeper. This island doesn’t lie far from the mainland’s shore.”
“So what is it we’re looking for exactly? On this island?”
Crystaline swivelled her body around, readying herself to point out the whereabouts of the healing stone to James. The other three chuggas and the rest of her companions halted her words, as they landed softly on the little land mass.
“At last!” Crystaline grinned, mocking the slowness of her brother. “What took you so long?”
“What took us so long?” Crystos answered, de-mounting himself from his own chugga, “we were being careful, enjoying the ride, the scenery. Not like some of us, dear sister.”
Crystaline placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head as she watched Phil and Zach climbing free from their own blue chuggas.
“I’m sure that Yullom, Chugga-chugga, James and I had more fun that you six. Anyway though, we have far more important matters to attend to right now, don’t we?”
Crystaline’s and Crystos’ expressions both grew more serious as they eyed the small cave in front of them.
At that point, James felt suddenly stupid. He’d just asked Crystaline what they were to look for, where the stone would be, and realistically, the healing stone would be nowhere else other than this purple little cave. What else was there on this tiny little island? Purple sand? A few odd little trees scattered here and there, and then there was just the cave, and a random statue which lay next to it. James figured that Crystaline’s and Crystos’ ancestors must have built the statue, perhaps as a sign to point out the location of the healing stone? The statue looked simple anyhow, raised, standing from the sand at the same height of a person. Other than that, the purple rock looked pretty ordinary, with just a few little lines to indicate that it might have been carved by a person, an Urashan.
“So er, this cave?” James began, “it’s where we’ll find the healing stone?”
Crystaline’s gaze slowly shifted towards James, and for a while, the Urashan princess just stared into the young space warrior’s eyes. Crystaline looked momentarily lost, momentarily troubled, until eventually, her rouge lips slowly parted.
“Yes...I won’t be long. You can all wait outside.”
“Aren’t we all going in? Surely it would be quicker if we all looked for the stone, right?”
Crystaline sighed,
“James...look at the cave, it’s tiny. We wouldn’t all fit inside it. Besides, I work well alone. The rest of you should take this opportunity to rest; have some water, have some fruit. We have a long flight back to the city ahead of us today.”
There it was again - that feeling of despondency. James was a very determined young man; he wanted to achieve what he and his companions had been sent out here to do. James wanted to obtain the healing stone, of course, but at the same time, the young space warrior had fallen in love with this planet. James had fallen for the chuggas, and he had fallen for the Urashans. The thought of leaving Crystaline, in her vulnerable state when he was close, so close to getting through to her, to helping her, it was a thought which brought James pain, a pain in his heart. Nevertheless, the young space warrior felt voiceless, and to a certain degree, powerless. James knew what he had to do, what his mission had always been. The young space warrior knew that he would need to leave for Nebowska, and then he would head home, back into the arms of the mother he adored with all his heart. Not only that, there was Lottie, too! James would see her today! He had to keep positive, he had to remind himself of all the good stuff. James silently stepped back from Crystaline, allowing her into the cave. He watched as she slowly disappeared inside it.
“Well,” Phil began, “looks like we can get on with our true mission tomorrow.”
Although James did not disagree with Phil’s words, the young space warrior could not prevent that wretched little lump from creeping its way right up his throat. No matter how hard he tried to stay positive, the young space warrior could not stop his feelings of dread, of anguish.
Not wanting his captain to cotton onto his true feelings, James wandered over towards the human-height statue, caressing its gouges and its grooves as he tried to rid his mind of his negative thoughts.
The rock felt cold, yet surprisingly smooth for a rock. It was so smooth in fact, that it even reminded James of the chuggas, of their smooth rubbery skin. As the young space warrior continued to feel this statue, James felt something crumbling away underneath his finger. Oh shit, part of the statue had broken? Unable to stifle his curiosity, James poked even further at the vulnerable bit of rock. Again, it crumbled away beneath his inquisitive finger, until eventually, the young space warrior began to realise something: he began to realise that this rock was meant to break apart here, for something...something was inside it!
“Hey guys...” James began, reaching his entire hand into the hole he had just formed, “Something, something’s in here.” James enveloped his eager fingers around the cool polished stone, lifting it free from the statue. The young space warrior slowly released his fingers from the stone, allowing the pulsating blue beauty to rest gently on the palm of his hand.
Crystos’ mouth gaped open, his golden irises completely and utterly captivated by the stunning little object in James’ hands.
“Crystaline!” The prince called out, “You won’t find the healing stone in there. Come out, now.”
It took Crystaline only a matter of seconds to emerge from the cave, but as soon as she did, every single little remnant of colour had drained away from her already pale cheeks, as her eyes found James with the healing stone.
“This...” James whispered, his eyes too mesmerised by the healing stone to even notice Crystaline’s anguish, “you mean this little thing...it’s the healing stone? We’ve found it?”
James grinned, feeling the comforting weight of the blue, glittery stone in the palm of his hand.
“Hand it over!” Crystaline proclaimed, her face representing that of a stormy thundercloud.
James’ mouth gaped open, surprised by Crystaline’s apparent rage.
“What?”
“Just hand it over.” Crystaline whispered this time, her expression conveying her pain rather than her anger.
James did as he was told, confused by the princess’ negative reaction.
Crystaline took the stone, wrapping it in a cloth, before placing it in one of the supply bags.
“Here,” she said to a rather perplexed Crystos, “you carry it.”
“So this mission...” Phil begun, stepping forwards with a relieved expression on his face, “it’s finally over? We can go back to the city now?”
“Yes.” Crystaline answered, with a solemn expression on her face.
“And our ship?” Phil continued, “it will be fixed, right?”
“Yes,” Crystaline sighed, “it will be. Chuggas, will you take us back to the city?”
The five chuggas bowed, each inviting their riders back onto their backs.
James climbed onto the warm familiar back of Chugga-chugga, his mind and his heart both racing. It was great - that the healing stone had been found at last. After all, finding the healing stone was what he had been sent out here into the wilderness to do. It was also a fantastic thought to be seeing Lottie today, it really was. Yet there was something, something not quite right, something wrong, for James’ heart ached. It felt...it felt lost.
Usually the young space warrior’s heart was pretty clear. It ached, it hurt, it bled over his father. But James’ heart, it had never felt lost before, so foggy, so cloudy, so torn!
James felt himself being lifted from the ground once again. He felt the familiar wafts of air puffing into his ears, as Chugga-chugga rose free from the island. This was really it, this mission, this time with Crystaline and her brother, it was coming to an end now.
James felt a few stitches unravelling inside his heart. His heart had not bled this much in such a long time!
Chapter 24
“When do you think they’ll be back?” Lottie asked Lisa, drumming her fingers on the cool hard restaurant table.
“Soon. I mean, I don’t know how far away the stone is from here. But I know they’ll be back soon - all of them.”
“And him?” Lottie practically spat, eyeing the king with disgust. She hated the way that he was always surrounded, always looking smug, conceited, protected.
“What about him?” Lisa sighed, taking a rather large gulp of her apocoli.
“What are we gonna do?” Lottie whispered.
“We’re not going to do anything.”
Lottie’s voice grew weak,
“But you know something’s not right.”
Lisa rolled her eyes, sighing heavily.
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, what can we do until the others get back?”
Lottie’s eyes returned to the king, watching as he raised away from his table, taking Crystanaphy and two others out of the restaurant with him.
“We follow him.” Lottie mumbled, raising herself away from her very own seat.
“No wait, Lottie!” Lisa protested, leaving the comfort of her own chair to race on after Lottie.
The human pair soon left the restaurant, tiptoeing stealthily through the Urashan palace corridors.
“You wanna slow down?” Lisa hissed, “we don’t wanna get caught, girlie!”
Lottie, did not respond to Lisa. In fact, it were as if she didn’t even hear the advice of her companion. Lottie was in her own world now, a world shrouded by her motives, her intentions: to uncover the truth, the king’s lies.
Just as Lisa and Lottie turned around another corner, the king finally stabilised, entering through a door with Crystanaphy and the two guards who protected them both.
“Perfect!” Lottie gasped, realising that this was her opportunity to eavesdrop.
Carefully, both Lottie, and Lisa pressed their ears against the large black door.
“So when will we behold the healing stone?” Crystanaphy’s voice sounded.
“Soon,” the king replied. “I’d imagine that Crystaline will have obtained the stone by now. I estimate that they should all be back in a few days time. Though, it could be a little while before, or after.”
“And do you think they’ll have made it this far? Survived?”
“Crystanaphy!” The king scoffed, “are you doubting Crystaline and her brother?”
“No, I didn’t mean them. I meant the humans.”
For a brief moment, all went quiet, until eventually, Cryston’s callous voice sounded,
“Well, it would be a shame if they didn’t. One casualty would be bearable, yes. But if they all perished, if that captain perished, then what would be the point in all of this? As soon as they all return, revenge will be ours!”
As the king’s words entered through Lottie’s and Lisa’s ears, both of their mouths gaped open, completely and utterly horrified by what they’d just heard.
Lisa stared into Lottie’s eyes, searching for forgiveness, for everything...for everything to just be okay. How could she have doubted the poor young woman like this? How could she have let this happen? Phil and the others...revenge...why?
“I’m so sorry!” Lisa whispered, her eyes still penetrating Lottie’s.
Lottie said nothing, for she was too shocked to even speak. Instead her eyes rose free from Lisa’s, widening with yet more horror as she saw the two bulky guards approaching.
“Now, now, what is this?” One of the guards grumbled, grabbing Lottie by her arm. The other guard took a hold of Lisa.
“Get off me!” Lisa yelled, desperately trying to free herself from the brute’s heavy grasp.
The door clicked open.
Out walked the king, with Crystanaphy and the two other guards who had accompanied them both inside the room.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” The king’s smug conceited voice sounded.
“We caught them snooping.” One of the brutish guards answered.
“Snooping? Snooping? Well now, that just won’t do, will it?” The king smiled a wicked little smile, grabbing Lottie’s face with his cold bony fingers. “I knew there was something about you, woman, something sneaky. I don’t like that. Unfortunately, you leave me no choice. We shall have to seize the elderly one. Then the three of you will be held, in our prison, until your precious friends return. Then, my love, then the show will truly begin. The show of my deliciously sweet revenge!”
Chapter 25
As James rose higher and higher into the air, he could see the little island shrinking into invisibility. It was funny - that it had taken days to get here, to the island, to the healing stone. Yet it would only take hours, or even less to return to the city.
James felt Chugga-chugga spurting through the air, carrying him through the cool evening air. It was getting dark now. The Urashan sun was beginning her journey back towards Urasha’s horizon. The sky was no longer a warm flourish of pink, but instead, it was a dreamy darkening purple.
Crystaline and Yullom were not far ahead, yet the journey back to the city, it just did not feel the same as the flight to the island.
James winced as he recognised the familiar purple of the deadly ganzar pool beneath him. He had nearly died here, as had Crystaline. Morcees had died here. Poor Morcees, poor Borcees. Surely it would only be a matter of time until...until the chuggas would carry everyone over that devastating scene; the one which had caused everyone so much heartache. Was Borcees’ carcass still there? The dead gersher’s? James felt the warm neck of his creature friend - at least Chugga-chugga had made it. The little blue fella was alive, and not so little anymore!
As minutes passed, James was greeted with the sights, and the memor
ies of his journey here on this remarkable planet. There it was - that cave, that cliff. Okay, so it was hard to make out all the details, but the young space warrior could still see all that destruction. The boulders which were scattered everywhere. The odd, uneven shapes of the damaged cliffs. At this point, James wondered if the gershers would return, and he wondered how safe he and the others would be. Would they notice a chugga? Did gershers eat chuggas? Probably not. James hoped not anyway.
Just as it began to look as if the landscape beneath him couldn’t get any more drier, James noticed the heavy band of purple emanating into his view. The young space warrior instantly recognised what this was - the Urashan forest! James’ heart leapt, endeavouring to break free from his chest, and into the Urashan forest. The memories of this place, the surreal beauty of the trees, the glowing plants, the wildlife. The furleaves! The river! The gold fruit! This was where it had all happened. This was where James had met Chugga-chugga. It was where he had befriended Crystos and Crystaline. This place was where the magic had happened, and James, he just wanted to be back there in it, hidden away with Crystaline in amongst all those luminous trees and plants.
As the forest transformed into barren dullness, James’ heart began to throb unpleasantly. He could see it, that thick, black city wall. It was all over now, it was really over. James’ stay here on this wonderful planet was about to reach its end.
James watched as Crystaline and Yullom began to sink through the darkening evening sky. He watched, as the black wall grew larger and larger, and the purple sky seemed further and further away. James felt himself sinking through the sky, until eventually, he and Chugga-chugga landed with the others, only metres away from the dormant Earthship.
Crystaline was the first to climb free from her chugga, watching the Earthship with a strained expression on her face. James freed himself from Chugga-chugga, in sync with everyone else. The young space warrior wondered, he wondered if Crystaline was upset for the same reasons as him? He wondered if the Urashan princess would miss him, too? Perhaps she had realised that finding the stone for her father was in actual fact, a bad thing. It would mean that the mission had ended, that she would face separation.
Diversion To Urasha (Space Era Book 1) Page 27