"So what do kraken eggs even look like?" asked Fam, who was in a much better mood since seeing Orpos.
"They are about 30cm tall and are in the shape of white ovals with a blueish green tinge," stated INFOS "They have an incubation time of four years and while many thousands are laid at any one time, only a few will survive due to their voracious appetite leading to competition and, ultimately, few winners. For this reason, as well as excessive hunting for their ink and meat, the kraken have become quite rare... they also look disgusting, I might add..."
"Yes, well, thanks for the encyclopedia entry, INFOS," laughed Fam.
"You're welcome, milady," replied INFOS, bluntly.
"How long do we have until we get there?" inquired Exalndria.
"Really Exalndria?" teased Fam, smiling "We've only been out for about half an hour!"
"47 minuets, 29 seconds, actually," replied Exalndria, annoyed, "And you're not the one carrying the huge backpack!"
"I thought you said that it didn't weigh anything?" Gedrick said, remembering
Exalndria shrugged, "It doesn't."
"Then what's the problem?"
Exalndria hesitated, trying to think, "Okay, fine, that wasn't a very good excuse."
"Nope," replied Fam, smiling, "Now, when are..." she stopped, shocked. Before her was a river with a tiny village... or at least what was left of one.
The Flowing River curved through the landscape, shaping it. Nestled in the very edge of its larger meanders was a ruin of a house, broken by fire. Fam sprinted forwards, memories flashing before her eyes: three nymphs with different coloured hair sat at a table... The older, white haired nymph served up some fish which the two, younger nymphs gleefully ate... All of a sudden the air smelled of soot and flame... The river itself was on fire, liters of oil being pumped into it and set alight... Soldiers teamed the other side of the house, their weapons glinting in the light of the flame... The three nymphs hid in the corner of the house, the white haired nymph whispering words of encouragement to the other two... a soldier burst in, the arrow looking symbol he wore filling the blue haired nymph's eyes.
Fam fell to her knees before the ruins of the house, the rest of the memory becoming clear: soldiers rushing through a village by a river... "This river." spoke Fam... three nymphs huddled by the corner of a burning house... "My house," she continued... the eldest nymph, with white hair, cut down... "Mum?", a tear trickled down her face... a soldier carrying away a small nymph with black hair... "My sister, where are you?"... another soldier approaching the final nymph, a young girl with rippling blue hair... "Me."... a shadow of a huge creature and a flash of red skin... "Orpos."... the soldier was sent flying as a red arm smashed into him... "He deserved it," Fam, sniffled... the creature bending down, his four eyes reflecting the fire... "Watch out!" exclaimed the Water Elemental... a beam from the ceiling falling down and the girl screaming... "I'm so sorry." she sobbed... the creature leaning forward and catching it with a grunt... "You saved me more than once that day."... the creature picking the girl up and carrying her out... "Thank you, Orpos."... the little girl in a hospital ward with the creature sitting beside her... "Thank you, dear friend." Fam smiled, tears still running down her face.
Fam stood up and Exalndria came to meet her, "Are you okay, Fam?" she asked, "You just ran off and collapsed!"
"It was quite pitiful, really, "continued Gedrick, sincere worry behind his sarcastic tone.
"Yes, yes," Fam smiled, glad to have her friends around her "I'm alright." She looked at Gedrick, and continued in a whisper of relief, "I've worked the memory out."
"Really?" Gedrick was taken aback for once, "So this," he gestured at the river, the house and the remains of the village.
Fam nodded, excitedly "Yes. This is where I grew up!" She frowned, sad again "And where my family was torn apart by the League of Hunters."
"Really?" asked Exalndria "I mean, how do you know it was them?"
"I remember seeing their badge on the uniform of the soldier that killed my mother," said Fam, seriously.
"Oh," the lexarch responded, awkwardly "I'm so sorry Fam." She stopped, unsure of how to proceed.
"Milady," said INFOS, "The key."
"Ah, yes..." Exalndria hesitated again, as if listening to something. She shook her head and appeared to focus again "That means that they might have it, that it might not be here."
"What key? What might not be here?" asked Fam, confused.
"Um," Exalndria headed towards the house, taking something from her pocket "Where is it?" she mumbled, searching through the rubble.
"Exalndria, wait!" cried Fam, worried about her friend "What is it? Where is what? Can we help?"
The lexarch turned round, an obsessed look in her eyes "INFOS, scan the place. Look for similar readings."
"Yes, milady," INFOS got to work, a blue light coming forth from him, scanning the surrounding area. A second later and he had found something, pointing a red light towards a small pile of rubble a few feet away.
Exalndria ran towards it but Gedrick reached it first. He held out a hand to stop her and, whimpering, she sat down. The dwarf carefully removed the rubble and discovered a small box. He opened it and took out a small key which seemed to shift in shape until it settled as a plain, un-decorated key. Exalndria cried out and snatched it from the Earth Elemental and it reformed as an ever-changing blob of black matter that appeared to give out feelings of intense anger and hatred.
"I think that you've got some explaining to do, Exalndria," said Gedrick, seriously, looking at the technician calmly.
"Ye... yes," Exalndria whimpered, "Yes, I think I do." She looked between Fam and Gedrick for a few seconds as if getting ready to tell a great story. But, just before she could start, INFOS started talking.
"Everyone, I regret to inform you that we must return to HQ immediately. Orpos is struggling for life."
Fam gasped and ran off, leaving Gedrick with Exalndria. "This isn't over, you know," he said "We do need an explanation as to what's been going on."
Exalndria nodded and they left, going after Fam.
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