Chapter eight: The Mystery of Orenda

As the Skiff was sliding uncontrollably on the path that Keith put him on. "Keith!" He cried. He threw out his arms and did whatever he could to stop them from sliding along the path.

"Come on! Gah!, can it stop for one second!" Shiro said.

He jumped in the driver's seat and the skiff hovered above the ground. He quietly soared away from the mist and into the land surrounding Aurs.

But ugh! Why Keith does this! Of all people! But ugh, it was frustrating for Shiro. But luckily the skiff swiveled as it changed course and ran to a complete stop. Shiro was relieved that the skiff slows down a bit, his plan had worked!

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief. But he had counted on the speed of the skiff, which contained to push them over a slope and down a hill. Then he splashed into a river.

"Wait," Shiro said practically. "Wait. No. No. No!" The skiff raced even faster down the river than it had down it had on the path it did before. It began to spin. "Oh, come on!" Shiro shouted angrily. 

Shiro hit a tree when the skiff rotated. "Argh! Why did this happen!" Shiro admitted? "I told him that we're going to be okay in the future!"

Shiro's heart began to sink, he's been so worried out of his mind that he didn't know what to do! But weirder after the way, he hugged him and kissed him on the lips before he pushed him on the Skiff, he just couldn't stop thinking about him no matter how hard he tried and before he could even process what happened, he was holding the crystal piece in his hand and he pushed him on the Skiff.

Just in, Stats appeared and hovered at his side. Shiro threw his arms around him, glad of the little one's company.

"Oh, Stats! You're here!"

Stats wriggled out of his grasp and said "Stats! Stats!"

"I know Stats, I know!" Shiro said as he paused in trying to stop the skiff and gave the little creature his full attention.

"Stats..." Stats trailed when he noticed Shiro's solemn expression and the bloody spot on the front of his jacket from when Keith hugged him, right before he pushed on the skiff to him away. "Stats..."

"...Keith...why...?" he thought before dropped his face into his hands, really blame himself, he'd botched things up.

A large tree was shoved down to the ground, almost as much as possible to create a wall, next to the mist wall.

"Keith, stop!" Romelle cried as he grabbed at Keith, who panted a bit. "What are you doing?!"

"Shut up!" Keith barked.

"But if you block the way," Romelle  began, "how is Shiro gonna come back?!"

"That's the point, Romelle!" Keith yelled. "He's not coming back, and I made sure of it!"

"You don't care if you never see him again?!" Romelle questioned. "I thought you loved him! Didn't you kiss him?!"

Keith's face turned red at that before he growled and walked away.

"Who cares?!" he asked. "I can't just have him hanging around, otherwise, I'll never be able to fight the way I want to!". He then looked to Lance and the others. "Come on, guys! We're leaving!"

"Go? To where?" Lance asked.

"How can you ask such a thing? We'll go and fight the empire, crush them once and for all".

Lance was about to open his mouth to argue but instead heaved a small, exasperated sigh before looking back at the group who feel the same way, then he glanced down at Romelle, who had his back turned to the group.

"Come along, guys," Lance said.

"Are you sure that's wise!" Pidge beckoned.

"Pidge's got a point!" Hunk said, "None of us are in a good shape!"

Keith scoffed. "You think you're the first one to tell me that? Get in line!." With that, he kept walking while Lance followed behind.

"I understand that you forced Shiro to leave for his safety", Lance began. "But do you not think you could have achieved the same end through less aggressive methods?"

"Leave me alone!" Keith began. "I did what I had to!"

"There's one thing I don't quite understand," Lance said. "Keith...you said that years ago, the Galra, more specifically Zarkon tricked you into attacking Aurs, correct?"

"Yeah, but now I don't understand!" Keith asked.

"Maybe, you met someone else before! someone that he worked with!" Lance inquired.

Keith's body twitched and he stopped in his tracks before he thought back to when Allura told him about how he could become to become a normal human man by using the Quintessence crystal...and how her impostor attacked him and Takashi...or rather, it was Zarkon or rather someone that's served him, using Allura's appearance to fool him.

"...I...I did meet someone, before," Keith answered, "but they were disguised as Allura back then. I don't know what his or her true form is."

"But that's just it," Lance said. "You don't know who has a grudge against you or  Maybe Someone else besides you might know Allura!"

Keith gasped at that. "So, what you're saying is that Allura was is his main target all along"

With the bright sun shining down, back the river, Shiro decided to go back to Aurs, no sense to feel sorry for him,  He had a plan, after all, get back to Aurs and give Keith a piece of his mind! But the wind howled and blew into Shiro's face.

He struggled to navigate the Skiff through the water but he was still determined to back to Aurs, anyway.

A strange clicking noise stopped him, and he peered at the switch.

The switch had started to activate on their own and the sound was loud and clear: Causing the skiff to move to the shore.

"Romelle!" Shiro said, Surprise to glimpse the young woman. Taking the controls of the skiff.

"That's me!" She said as she welcomes Shiro on the shore.

"Thanks for the support!" Shiro said.

"No problem, let's get you out here, you look stupid!" Romelle gingerly helped him up.

"Don't remind me!" he said, struggling to his feet. "At least you haven't kicked me out!"

Shiro sounded very calm and professional. Romelle was relieved. She knew he often had a tough time after Keith did to him.

Romelle studies the spectacle that she was witnessing and the skiff, "Well it was a good thing that I stop you! Or else Coran might have my head.

That was when Romelle turned and saw that Shiro wasn't taking it well at all. He was doing a very dramatic rage dance, making angry faces and kicking his feet behind her back.

"Or maybe not!" Romelle sighed.

"KEITH HAS A FLIPPING HOLE IN HIS CHEST!" Shiro exploded, unable to contain himself any longer. "Why did he have to hug me like that!"

Shiro sat on the ground, folded his arms over his chest, and pouted.

Romelle sat down with her back to his own. She hated for him to be unhappy. "Hey,  I'm sure he has his reasons for  doing what he did!"

"But Keith's bleeding hadn't stopped. I was so worried about him... When he embraced me...!" Shiro told Romelle.

"Yea, but I guess...he had his mind on that!" Romelle said. "But what if he had other things on his mind! But if he formulated a bad idea, If so, I'll never forgive him!"

Shiro's sense of humor kicked in and he began to laugh. At least someone got him laughing.

"Ok, you got that portion of the revenue!" Shiro said. "But...I had never been held like that by a boy...?!"

"I guess he passes for a boy. Since he's a half-human!" Romelle said.

Before either one could say another word, Stats split the air between them.

"Stats!" Stats said.

"Stats, What is it!" Romelle said. "What's wrong!" She looked at Shiro, Alarmed.

Shiro and Romelle looked to the atmosphere, with the feeling of dread.

"Well, whatever it is, it's not safe here!" Shiro insisted.

"I'm afraid so!" Romelle said, gently.  Getting on the skiff. "Come on, Let's get out of here!"

"Where we gonna go!" Shiro said, getting on the skiff too.

Well, we can't go back to Keith and the other, Right now". Romelle added.

Shiro bit his lip. "Ohhhhhh, yeah."

"Lucky for you I know does the place!" Romelle said. Taking the skiff to full throttle but the expression on Shiro's face was a mixture of defiance, fear, and guilt that will never forget. Romelle hoped whatever trouble Keith was in this time wasn't too severe. But whatever happened next, she would be there for him. That was what friends were for.

Back at Aurs, Keith was having his injuries tended to by one of the nurses, who were rubbing some sort of salve on the large scar on his back.

"I suggest you rest for a while, Keith," Coran told him. "You won't be seeing battle for quite some time."

"Oh, come on!" Keith said. "This'll probably close in 2 days. 3 days, tops!"

"Being awesome as always!" Lance quipped while sipping a cup of tea.

"So true!" Pidge said, sipping her cup of tea.

"So true indeed Can't blame him!" Hunk added, sipping also a cup of tea.

"Hey, Coran," said Keith. "Answer me something. Are you sure you don't know anything about Zarkon?"

"No, I don't the only information I know of was from Sendak and Haxus and I hardly got information from them!" said Coran. "But ever since Allura was resurrected from bones and grave soil. Zarkon sends someone to take the quintessence crystal by attacked her, then the Person tricked you, Keith, into terrorizing Aurs and have taken the crystal in their stead. Then would have Allura bound you to the Great Tree."

Keith's Head drooped slightly upon remembering Allura's bitter and angry expression...the blood on her shoulder as she pinned him to the tree with one of her magical arrows.

"Zarkon had a plan in the beginning!" Coran began, "Once Allura has perished, his Forces have been free around the land. Tormenting so many lives in the process!"

"But why! they would have been free to destroy this place!" Lance said. "Why keep them around!"

"I'm with Lance on this one!" Keith said as he put his black t-shirt back on. "If his plan was for Allura and me to turn on each other! Why her of all people."

"That's because the quintessence crystal was in her protection!" Coran said. "Zarkon wanted Allura's heart to become defiled with hatred and the thirst for revenge."

"What?" Keith asked.

"While the jewel was in Allura's possession," Coran began, "it remained pure, but when her heart was filled with malice, the crystal became corrupted with evil but who would want that".

"You're right, No one Except at the time, I recalled one person that would allow that!" Keith added.

"And who was that, Keith?" asked Lance.

"I'm curious to know, as well," Coran spoke up.

"Do you guys want to see this fellow's final resting place?" Keith offered.

Soon, Lance and Coran were following Keith through a field of tall grass and vines. Crows cawed and squawked as they flew through up into the sky, startled by their presence.

"The Person was a woman known as Orenda!" said Keith.

"A woman!" Lance repeated. "Why a woman! What's so special about her Why bring her out here!"

"Well, it's because!" Keith confirmed. "Orenda was a bandit and had committed crimes in the neighboring lands and had fled here to Aurs, it was here that she met Allura and me, who provided her sanctuary."

"Oh, Nevermind!" Lance said.

"But why?" Coran asked. "Why would Allura harbor a fugitive?"

"Because, Coran," Keith started, "Orenda was crippled from head to toe."

Coran tensed up slightly at that, and it was at that moment that the group stopped in front of a dark cavern.

"Here," said Keith. "Inside this cave, Orenda was being nursed to health by Allura. She had terrible burns over her entire body. Her face, especially, was also badly burned as well. Her old boss had tossed her down a cliff, where both her legs were crushed and yet, She kept ongoing. The only things she could do were swallow food and speak, however her true self". 

He says this because he remembers the day, Inside the cave, lying on a bed of straw and being covered by an old blanket, there was a woman, wrapped up in bandages. The only striking things were her right eye and mouth. Allura sat beside her, gently spooning her some soup, which she sipped and swallowed with a bit of effort. Nearby, Keith, back when he had the trust of Allura, watched on with a wary expression.

"Keith, I'll be right back," Allura said as she stood up and walked away.

"You aren't going to leave me here with...her, are you, Allura?" asked Keith.

"I'll only be gone for a little while," Allura replied. "I have to get some more herbs. In the meantime, change his bandages."

"Do I have to?" Keith asked in a pleading voice, begging her not to leave him. He was uncomfortable being with someone, especially with a Bandit.

"She won't do anything to you," Allura reassured. "She's far too injured."

"All right," Keith replied in resignation.

Soon, Allura left while Keith tended to Orenda's wounds. As he put a cloth in a basin of water and began to wipe some blood off of her.

"Hey, half breed..." she said in a hoarse voice, startling Keith.

"I'm Keith, Got that!" Keith corrected, trying his best not to sound afraid.

"Priestess Allura has something called the quintessence crystal". Orenda said.

"H...how did you know about that?!" Keith asked in surprise.

"Everyone in the Empire is after it!" Orenda answered.

"...And I suppose that includes you?" asked Keith as he glared at her, bitterly.

"I understand that the more evil this crystal absorbs, the eviler it becomes. How nice!" Orenda said.

"Allura has it under control. It will not go bad". said Keith. 

"Allura is always so smug...I'd like to see her worried and scared...Now that would give me a rush..." Orenda smiles.

Keith gulped nervously before he turned and ran out, shivers of terror and disgust crawling up and down his spine. As he left, he soon found Allura, making her way back to the cave with some herbs. It was then that Keith conveyed to Allura what Orenda had said.

"I see... So Orenda said that?" Allura said.

"Allura, I don't like her," said Keith. "I could tell Takashi about this, maybe he could..."

"Forgive her", asked Allura,  Interrupting before she glanced at Keith. "She will probably never be able to move from there.

"I really...really wanted to give rid of her!" Keith continued, As he remembered the day like it was yesterday. "But I hated to agree with her, Orenda was so crippled in fact, That she could no longer move! She was definitely on the purge of death".

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lance exclaimed. "Hold up a minute, Keith! Are you saying this 'Orenda' Lady was a human? Zarkon is a daemon!?"

"Absolutely. No matter how weak and evil, she was still human. No mistake about that". Keith said.

"Shall we enter, then?" Coran asked as he looked at the cave. "I have a feeling...that something ominous still lurks inside that cave."

"Me too!" Lance said.

Elsewhere, Arriving at the swamp, Shiro and Romelle head to the giant tree at the center of the swamp.

"So this is where we get in!" Shiro asked as he and Romelle climbed down the skiff. Stats perched on his shoulder.

In front of them was the wall of the tree trunk with no entrance on it.

"How did the rebels got through here!" Shiro continued "In an, I wish to remain hidden kind of way!"

Romelle parking the skiff at a post near an old tree. She and Shiro each took in a brave breath as Romelle took the Horngazel and headed down the stairs to the center of the refugee.

They entered together, stepping into the village. Ahead, bright colors of light seeped around the edges of a closed door. Shiro carefully pushed the door open, revealing a room with fog.

Romelle followed Shiro inside. Neither of them saw the string stretching across the floor. Shiro stepped on it, triggering a bottle of bubbling liquid on a shelf above them to tip over. The liquid oozed into the floor.

Poof! Their feet were suddenly trapped in sticky, bubble-gum-like goo.

A moment later, a hulking figure emerged from the fog, golden eyes glowed from the mask that the figure wore over its face. "What do you want?" The figure boomed.

"We're, um, looking for Sokka," Shiro said, his voice shaking. Stats, clinging to him, hunched in fear.

"I...am...Sokka!" He was mysterious unlike any kind of leader, Shiro had swallowed his fear and gave him, his friendliest smile. "Sorry to bother you, I but...here to train!"

"TRAIN?" Sokka yelled "Tell me this, what happened if you deal with the enemy" Shiro and Romelle stared in shock, but before he could be thinking about it, Sokka slapped Shiro's face. 

"Too slow! You're just too slow at making decisions! You failed to finish off Sendak before daybreak! Do you know why you couldn't answer my question right away? It's because your resolve is too weak!" Sokka berates Shiro. 

Romelle looks onto the side, she knows Sokka was right, Shiro still had a long way to go and the fight with Sendak was the latest example of that. 

Sokka continues "There are two things to do, especially dealing with Galra, destroy them and deal with the consequences, That's what it means to travel in a world of danger. But that must never happen no matter what. And you'd best not forget." 

"The Galra, taking the life of an innocent person...That's the one thing that must never happen. Ever! Do you understand what I'm saying?" He shouts toward Shiro 

"Yes!" Shiro shouts with his resolve. 

"All right, now I'm going to test you," Sokka said. "to see if you're fit to become a member of the samurai." then finally, he pulled out what looked like a saltshaker and sprinkled some powder over Shiro and Romelle's feet and the sticky goo disappeared and the two were freed.

"Now follow me!" 

In the early mornings, above the village was Sokka, running on stairs with Shiro and Romelle running at a face pace, behind him and running at him, full force. 

"He's so fast! Just how old is he anyway?" Shiro thought to himself.  "And, like earlier, I'm not hearing any footsteps at all!" 

"Keith, I know it must be jarring, but please be patient!" Shiro continues "Well, being patient is all that you've ever known or at least" he still remembers that Keith was still injured from his fight against Sendak. 

After running the whole day, the pair knelt on the ground, breathing hard trying to recover as best as they could from the arduous task.

"N-Now, have I...passed the test?" Shiro opened his mouth to say something and shaking with sweat dripping down his and Romelle's face.

Sokka opens the door to the outside. "The test starts now. We're going to climb down the tree" 

"Then what was all that running for," Shiro and Romelle thought to themselves as they begin to feel like dying.

"You stay, this is not for the faint of heart!" Sokka's rough voice sounds from behind the two.

"Well...okay!" said Romelle.

As Shiro following Sokka up the tree branches, where it is now almost pitch black with only the moon as its source of light, they walked for what seemed to be several hours up the tree.

The tree climb took them up higher than they have ever been before, causing trouble in the two's breathing as the air is so thin. Coupled with having run the whole day before, Shiro's begin to shake from the pain their muscles had to endure.

Sokka stops moving before turning to face Shiro. "Now, from here, go back down to the workshop at the foot of the tree. This time, I'm not going to wait

until daybreak!" With those last words, Sokka disappears from their sight.

"Is that all?" Shiro thought to himself. "I see. He thinks I might get lost in this thick fog. I just have to get back by daybreak, right?" 

But just as he took his first step, he stumbled over the rope near the anklet that he didn't even realize was there.

FWOOOM FWOOM!

There was a sound.

WHAP WHAP WHAP!

And a couple of rock assaulted his face, neck, and shoulder.

The vicious onslaught was only the beginning, because while he stumbled in pain, the earth behind him that he used as a prop, suddenly gave in—It wasn't earth. It's just papers covered by dirt, concealing a deep, dark pit—and he immediately fell into a trap.  

"I get it now." Shiro huffed, staring at the night sky full of stars for a couple of seconds. Before she groaned and pushed herself forward, climbing up and out the hole. "So, there are traps all around! The one Sokka set to test me!"

That is the real challenge! 

"This is bad. This is really bad!" The moment he was free, his hand stomped on another trap and a log smacked his back so hard, he fell face-first onto the ground. "If I keep setting off every trap, I won't get down the mountain by morning!"

And he just noticed that the air around this tree was a lot thinner than he first thought. That was the reason why he was so tired and dizzy, he feels like he'll pass out from the sheer intimidation alone.

"Will I make it back?" Shiro thought "I might pass out! No! I gotta make it back!" 

"Get your breathing under control..." He steadied himself and took a deep breath "and sense out each of those traps!" A trap set by Sokka must have his energy. They may be inanimate objects, but they had been touched by a living being, the color must've lingered. He opened his eyes and focused.

A fog of light blue whispered from the corner of his eyes. 

"Yes! I can see them!"

Four long bamboos fell on top of him multiple times, smacking him around like a ragdoll.

"That doesn't mean I can evade them at all!"

A few hours later in the back at the foot of the tree, inside of the workshop, Sokka was kneeling beside Romelle who currently eating a snack and lost in thoughts.

"I Wonder if Shiro can make it back and—" Her thought was cut off when she and Sokka heard a step and a huff, the doors opened. Shiro came in, bringing back tons of bruises and dirt on every inch of his body. He looked like a mess.

Romelle practically flew to the side of Shiro, Ignoring the fray and checking on his injuries, Shiro smiled wide and muttered.

"I...made it back..."

Before he slumped forward and made Romelle went into a fussing frenzy.

"Yodala! You hope you see about this" Sokka opened up the drawer and pulled out a first aid kit, and Romelle immediately snatched it away for her to use. "There is indeed something different in these two. That I want to bet on it myself."

"Shiro, I accept you as my student!"