Storm the Shuttle

There was nothing but silence, there was always silence in space and it was always the loudest sound an Elf could hear. Balin sat on the cold metallic floor in the airlock bay, Luthien, Malian, and Lia were perched close by with their wooden spears and daggers ready. There was a shuffling sound from around the corner of the bay door; they all stiffened and clamored closer together, the maiden-warriors pushed Balin behind them and started slowly towards the door, each step a muffled sound could be heard. Balin started to sweat, growing profusely more nervous by the second.

He tried to remind himself of his mission his father had passed along to him; it was a short letter that asked that he'd avenge the kingdom, had it fallen in the battle with the Galactic Alliance. He'd seen the battle in his protected fortress as the Alliance and their malevolent warriors ripped ever last Elven warrior apart, he watched from afar as the Faye King flicked his finger tirelessly and a silver spear impaled his father. Just the thought boiled Balin's blood, long ago he'd lost his human mother to an alien attack.

Today felt like a crushing trifecta to Balin.

Today he'd lost his father.

Luthien and Malian were on the edge of the airlock when they overtook the small elf, Malian's wooden spear press firmly beneath his jaw, the boy was frightened and bewildered at the same time. Balin peered over Lia's shoulder at his brother, Earendil's big eyes widen when he caught sight of Balin.

"What are you doing here, Earendil?" Balin whispered over the two warriors, Malian removed her spear slowly and Balin could tell she was still on edge. Earendil waved his hands around signaling Balin's full attention, grabbing him by the shoulder, he bent level to his little brother, and their eyes locked. Earendil's hand rested on Balin's chest and his eyes were searching Balin's. Earendil was deaf and fairly mute but he had known following Balin wasn't a good idea, Balin sighed and nodded at him before releasing his shoulder. Earendil pointed to himself and then to his head as if to say 'I know' but the thought was replaced when the sound of hoofs could be heard. Lia pressed the group behind the door quickly and forged a psychic link between her and Balin.

'We have to move. Let Luthien and Malian watch over Earendil here while you and I go slay the Faye and the barbarians above... We are enough.' Balin agreed but before he could move he noticed his brother was clinging to him. He pressed his hand to Earendil's chest and returned his gesture from earlier to him.

'I know' he signed and grabbed his wooden sword and gave it to Earendil. They shared a glance before the brothers parted ways and Earendil gripped the sheathed blade in his hands as he watched his brother vanish in the dark underbelly of the spaceship.

< Cedar Infirmary upon the Cryislis Runner>

Dietrich groaned through the cold infirmary air; he could feel the poisoned root growing on the soles of his feet, his constricted muscles burned with each breath he inhaled into his body. He was heavily sedated but awake and very uncomfortable. The inside of his mouth tasted rotten and sour and he was weighed down by his own sweat. As a Faye; he had been blessed with perfect health and a stable mentality, the rooting meant that the grand Deodar wanted to be reborn and Dietrich was its sapling but there was no way of telling if the process would actually work or he'd just die this way. His whole body felt weak to the touch.

'Why after hundreds of years would the Deodar chose to Root now?' Dietrich thought. He had watched his father fly when he was a young changeling and now he couldn't even recall what stretched Faye wings looked like. The Deodar dying meant no more pixie dust, magic, healing, and wing coronation, all things that Dietrich would never know. Although he had heard of stories about Rooting and the Grand Deodar, there weren't any solid records after the Red Giant consumed everything. He frequently visited the coordinates of his home planet, nothing left but the space dust and debris.

Balin and Lia were keeping a pace ahead of the ship's crew until Yuma had run into them, the royal elves were able to escape the ghastly swing of her Ax and the magic of the rest of the crew. Yuma planned to cut them off before they reached the bridge but that meant scarifying the Cedar Infirmary.

'We've got to get to the bridge before they get there or else there wouldn't be any more choices.' Lia said through their link. She ran ahead of him more swiftly than before and watched in terror as Yuma rounded the corner behind her. Lia made it into the bridge but the crew was right on her heels, Balin stopped several yards in front of Yuma. Awkwardly Yuma didn't move an inch; she kept her eyes on Balin, he looked around her and to the sides before spotting the Cedar Infirmary doors only a jump away, Yuma tensed up and lifted her Ax into the air just as Balin slipped into the room. Once inside the infirmary, he opened the control panel and took a step away when he saw Yuma's silhouette through the window, her Ax came crashing through the door and into the control panel, and in an instant, the protection shield appeared around the Infirmary inner walls. Yuma's Ax sawed straight off, the seared metal falling from his side of the shield, the tips of it sparked and he watched as it fell through the ship's floor and coolly landed on the inside hull a level below. He watched as Yuma cursed from the other side of the shield.

'Lia, did you make it through?' Balin tried the link, he looked around the infirmary and noticed something red at the foot of the cot in the corner. He moved behind the separating curtain slowly, Balin smirked. He drew his wooden dagger and shuffled quietly towards the cot.

'Balin, where are you?' Lia linked in. 'Sickbay. The shields came up and there's someone with me.' he replied in the silence. He reached out towards the curtain. 'Be careful, I sealed the bridge doors and the Faye Prince wasn't here.' Lia retorted. Balin dropped his hand and took a step back. He wanted to kill the Faye, the monster who killed his father but first he wanted him to beg for his life. He lifted his dagger above his head letting all the anger that consumed him seep into its blade, the edge of the dagger stretched towards the ceiling.

In one fail swoop, he obliterated the curtain, the cot, and its wool sheets. With cloth lingered in the air, fluttering in the cool breeze as the two princes let fury rush upon them.

"What part of no weapons in the infirmary did you not get, little elf?' Dietrich said coolly from his perch on the cupboard nearby, 'You really think you can finish me off with that piece of shite?" Balin's ears visibly vibrating, he knocked over a table and threw the chair at the Faye.

"How dare you speak to me!!' He slashed the air with his dagger. 'You haven't the right to speak to me." He swung his dagger haphazardly around in the air almost foaming from the mouth.

"Ooohhh- touchy, and I thought I was the patient. You should be admitted as soon as possible, I vow to implement a mental health facility on Galleria once we clean the rebels out." Dietrich said passionately dodging each of Balin's advances.

Balin breathed sharply and shrieked at Dietrich. He was growing impatient by the second, Dietrich was actively mocking the skilled swordsman prince of the Northern King Tribe. Earlier he had vanquished his father and now he was teasing him. Balin swung higher at the Faye and this time Dietrich kicked the blade into the ceiling and held out his hand for Tyrfing, his deodar sword. He caught it mid-air and tapped Balin hard on the head with it.

"It was fine at first but you're making me nauseous, I mean what's the plan? Swing until you hit something, Come on.' Dietrich jumped down from his perch onto a nearby table. 'I mean look at you, magnificent build, impeccable body definition. You could do so much better." He finished observantly watching Balin breathe hard. Balin rolled his eyes rudely and Dietrich shook his head sadly.

"Light fix, mute speech," Balin said, Dietrich started to say something but no sound came out. He shook his head playfully at Balin and quickly tossed Tyrfing into the ceiling.

'Lia, I've spotted the Faye. Let's regroup.' Balin linked to Lia but there was no reply only silence, he turned and looked at Dietrich still out of breath.

"Your monster must've taken back the bridge. She won't like it when she finds you dead in here." He warned Dietrich gazed at Balin calmly before laughing at him. Then he spoke again and nothing but silence. Balin grabbed Dietrich by his shoulder and pressed roughly until he heard something pop.

'Bal-Balin...Balin they- they have Earendil.' Lia answered weakly. Dietrich looked up into Balin's eyes and spoke again. This time he read his lips and shoved him away.

"Little Elf, I'll make this easy for you. Open the shields and if Dietrich isn't harmed. I'll only shot you and the warriors into space and place the kid with a nice family. Elven even, if you like." Yuma snorted on the other side of the door.

"You're bluffing!!! The warriors never left Galleria!!" He screamed. There was a knock at the window and then he could see Earendil's hand pressed against the glass.

"No, no...YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!!!" Balin screamed the youth in Earendil's hand made him sink into the floor. They had killed his father. Captured his family and now there was nothing left to do. He looked up into the youthful face of the Faye with all the anger he'd ever known. Dietrich gave Balin a look, expressionless and barren before turning to cough into his hand. Only the silence seeped into the air, Dietrich pulled his hand away and his green blood oozed from his hand.

"Light is found, speech with sound," Balin whispered under his breath, Dietrich coughed and the sound repeated. It was a liquid cough and Balin could tell that something was wrong with Dietrich.

"Little Elf, it doesn't sound good for you," Yuma spoke boisterously through the pane window. He reached for Tyrfing but the Faye was too slow. Balin easily put the Faye in a chokehold, startled Dietrich called out.

"Activate Protocol dash 10010129-" Dietrich yelled before Balin covered his mouth and started to strangle him. There was a silence but deep in the underbelly of the Bridge, something awoke.

Lia was no longer on the bridge alone.