The Land of LD

Chapter 18-Conflict

"What do you mean that you're protecting it?" queried September.
Shar hesitated, but he answered her question.
"Well, you see...since my people-Aureums, are humans that are living among the LDians, so we're exposed to lot of dangers and gets distrusted. usually, it's just a misunderstanding, so it's fine, but..."
"But?"
"Well, since few montjs ago, there was this strange group of beasts after us, each scorpion and spider, it seemed, and they were after us...for the same thing which you all are after."
"Man, just say crystal. what's wrong to say it?"
"Ah..right. there's nothing wrong for saying that. but, as you can see, these people have been after us for that crystal, and so we've been protecting it from them ever since."
"Well....why couldn't you just give it to them? is it that important to your people?"
"My friend, that crystal has a mysterious power, and my people has the duty to protect it from falling into the wrong hands. no one ever knew what sort of ability it has, but we've been sure that its power must be amazing, and... dangerous."
"Did you even ask those guys why they wanted it?" Kyle asked this time.
"We did. but they would never reply, only laugh at us."
"Maybe you or your people had done someting to them, so they might be trying to avenge you?"
"No way! none of us would commit such a thing!"
"Then? if you're protecting it, then why don't you just give it to us? if you do, then you wouldn't have to be chased like you do now!" said September with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"....I can't possibly put the burden of being chased to someone who I just met.."
"Oh, crapes! what burden?! listen up, kid, you show us those beasts now, or we'll just beat 'em up ourselves!"
"WHAT?? but....but you can't do that! you don't know how powerful and dangerous they are!"
"Shut up, you don't even know what we had gone through and what sort of monsters we defeated!"
"What...."
"Shar."
"...?"
"Whether we can succeed or not, it's still the same nothing will happen if we continue to hide and do nothing. so please, let us try and get to our home."
"...Okay, then. I'll try my best in helping you."

- - - 🦂 - - -

"Before I can tell you anything about those beasts, let me explain my friends first."
"Your friends?"
"Yes. the ones who found you with me at the desert."
"Oh..."
So Shar and other three children followed him into one tent.
That tent was a bit smaller and lower than that of other tents.
and in there, there was the dug hole on the ground, and mostly nothing else.
And in the hole, and under the huge rock right beside the hole, there were something...or someone.
And Shar approached it and called someone.
"Salaz! Phenek! it's me, Shar! I came with the friends who we found in the desert."
"Mmmm.........." muttered something-no, someone under the rock.
That someone was the beast boy, seeming like some sort of a reptile. he had some ridiculously big collar placed around his shoulders and surrounding his head.
"Oh....so you came with them...hello, strangers....welcome back to livng again....."
Then Shar turned to them.
"Well, friends. this is my friends, this is Salaz, a lizard beast."
"It's a shawl lizard, Shar....."
"And there's a Phenek, a desert fox beast, but....she seemed to be sleeping for now."
"Hello, I was sleeping, too! why would you wake me up for?!" cried Salaz irritably.
"Sorry,sorry! I needed someone to explain about Skulker with me to these friends"
"What? about Skulker? what for?"
"That is, these friends needs our crystal in order to open a magic portal to go home, but with Skulker chasing us, we can't give it to them yet. right?"
"Ah.....well, right. but so can you give it to them that easily? you said your family had been protecting it and keeping it since your ancestor's time."
"Well, I don't think it's much of an use if I can't give it to someone who really needs it than I or my people does."
"Yeah, whatever.....by the way, are yyou sure that Skulker won't show up at this very mome--"
"Your Highness! Skulker came again!!"
"Why now......"
"Oops."

- - - 🦂 - - -

"You filthy humans give us the orange jewel now, or you'll go through far more menacing fate than before!"
"Skulker....he's here again.."
"So THAT's him?!" whispered September in disbelief.
For the one named Skulker definitely didn't look like a normal scorpion beast.
His let arm was swollen huge and red, with needle like spikes growing on the surface of the left arm, and such thing was the same with scorpion's tail.
And he also had a spider girl beast partner, who looked a lot younger than him, but still menacing with her six arms and purple poisonous fangs protruding out of her mouth.
Then Skulker noticed Kyle and the others and smirked.
"And I can see that you had gotten some weak ally forces with you....humans...and a beast?"
"Wha-no, they're our guests! leave them alone. please, think again, you don't even know how powerful and dangerous that crystal is!"
"Shut up, human! we know it better than you do at least!"
Then, angered Skulker smashed his red left arm into the ground, and red spikes began to sprout and tear through people's tents.
"!!!!!"
"Ah!"
Kyle now remembered that Emily was left behind in a tent, then he began to look around wildly to find any signs of his sister.
And everyone there began to run around and scream in panic.
And just then, a little girl from the village tried to run as well, but she tripped and fell, and Skulker's spike was approaching her.
Just then S.S. leaped and got her up before menacing spikes could hurt her.
Then she quickly came back and handed the girl over to Shar.
Then she turned in skulker's direction.
September, observing her for a moment, saw her face for a split second, and was taken aback in surprise.
S.S. was looking angry.
Usually, she would keep quiet and her face would be most time expressionless and overly calm, almost emotionless, she seemed, but now, her eyes were burning with rage and hatred.
Her face was shaded for being kept low, and before September could stop her, S.S.had lunged toward Skulker, flying herself forward and cutting each spikes off the ground as she went.
"S.S.!!" called September.
But then S.S. had stabbed her dagger into Skulker's shoulder, and when Skulker had got her dagger out of his body with his left arm,he was defending himself with his left arm with all his might and was definitely surprised.
For human...or someone looking like a human able to use unrealistic physical and skill against him.
But he had all the plan in order to defeat this strange and yet threatening.
"Hey.....haven't you forget something?"
"...?"
Just before S.S. could turn around, a spider beast girl had stuck herself onto her back, and S.S. tried to pierce through Skulker's arm with her knife and tried to shake the girl off her bag.
But it was too late.
The spider girl had already pierced her fanges through her neck, and S.S. Immediately froze.
Skulker and spider girl backed away from her.
S.S. touched her scar with her hand, but she continued to stand and aim her blade toward them, but her legs were shaking, and her body was swaying to sides.
Just then, Salaz saw the chance, and he nudged September.
"Hey, we need to chase them off, but don't attack them. just scare them."
"What? how?"
"You know....menace?"
"Wha?"
"Here, I'll show you, so do it in your style!"
Then Salaz ran forward, spreading his collar wide as ever and ran fast, screaming sounding like a cackle.
Then September was not sure about what to do, but then she remembered, so she began to run all on her four and hissed and screamed, her hair and tail, ears all stood straight and stiff.
She was worried about S.S. as well, but then she knew others, at least Kyle, would be taking care of her.
Her and Salaz passed through her quick, and seeing them together, spider girl got frightened and ran away, and surprised Skulker had to go after her.
"Grr......so this is your plot, eh? but be aware, humans, and prince of human! we'll continue to come back until the day we've gotten the thing we want!"
With that, Skulker ran after his friend, and other people were all gathered in one place.
And when September turned around standing up, she could see that Kyle had gotten collapsed S.S. onto his lap already.
"S.S.!!!"

- - - 🦂 - - -

After they had returned to the village again, they saw that the tent where Emily was staying was placed in the deeper part of the village, so it wasn't severely damaged.
And Emily, fortunately, was safe inside as well.
So they placed S.S. into the tent and onto the another bed, and people all over the village started to fix the tents and poles again, talking among themselves with worried expression.
Shar sighed, and Phenek and Salaz approached him, saying some words to encourage him.
Shar sighed but smiled weakly.
"Thank you, Salaz. Phenek."
".........."
"By the way, do you think we can cure S.S.'s poison?"
"What? how could you not know, Shar? haven't you experienced this before??"
"Surely, but.....no one had directly comfronted Skulker and got infected by Spinella's poison like this ever before."
"Spinella..? that spider? well, why not? you mean you never fought back to those guys ever before?"
"I'm......sorry. but no one did....we are not the people born to fight, but to survive."
"What, that's for everyone! no one's born to fight!! ha....but what are we going to do with her....."
"........." Kyle was silent for a moment being, then he walked outside.
"Wha- hey, Kyle! what the.....what's wrong with him?"
"He's probably shocked alot now...first his sister to be ill...then his friend...."
"Grr..so what..he's not the only one, they're both my friends as well....."
"Well, some of the other tents are safe, so why don't you take a rest there as well? we'll look after these friends."
"Okay....."