Chapter CCCXXIV: Reunion ~Naaro/Rynn

Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap... The desperate, constant sound of shoes meeting stone filled the hall. Darkness enveloped the blue Drakoni as she ran, her breaths yet another indication of her fear. She could hear it behind her, getting closer and closer. Kai's screams only helped to amplify the terror she struggled to hold under. As she ran, a pair of evil red eyes began to close in on her, and a titanic roar was let loose. Her feet struggled to continue carrying her, a struggle they were beginning to lose. The eyes gained ground, and fangs which shined like deadly diamonds in the hall's darkness revealed themselves to the air. Rynn kept running, faster and faster. Just as she began to put distance between her and the beast, her foot got caught on a loose stone, and down she went. She screamed as Kai rolled from her arms, wailing in fear and pain. The Drakoni made an attempt to struggle to her feet, but was unable to get anywhere as a scythe-like claw sunk through her leg and pinned her to the ground. As the beast's disgusting, arid breath began to wash over her body and she felt its fangs pricking her, she cried out one word: "NAARO!!!"

"RYNN!" Naaro cried aloud, his upper body rocketing upward like a triggered mousetrap about to close on its prey.

He looked around and saw the confines of Lich's hut surrounding him. Afternoon sun shone through the cracks in the hut's construction. Hl'garng looked at him strangely.

"Who or what be Rynn, Guest?" Hl'garng asked. Naaro looked at Hl'garng, allowing the dream to sink in as being only that: a dream.

"Rynn is my wife, Hl'garng. I was having a dream about her...a nightmare, more suitably."

Hl'garng looked at Naaro somewhat confusedly. "What be a 'wife'?"

Naaro looked from Hl'garng back down to his sheets. After thinking for a second, he raised his head, turned to Hl'garng, and spoke. "Hl'garng...you're familiar with the concept of love, right? Caring about someone very strongly, strongly enough that you would probably give your life for them if it were necessary?" Hl'garng nodded, and Naaro went on. "A wife is a woman who a man loves so strongly that he and she make an eternal bond. They make a promise to love each other for as long as they both live, and sometimes even beyond life. They live their lives together, the man doing what he can to make the woman's life as good as it can be and the woman doing what she can to make the man's life as good as it can be. They also protect each other...a man may even give his life for his wife if it's necessary."

Hl'garng nodded. "So a wife be a man's Ng'kukuu Gl'karnk'i?"

Naaro looked at Hl'garng strangely. "I guess...but that would depend on what "Ng'kukuu Gl'karnk'i" means."

"It meaneth, ‘the one who cometh before all others’...the person who meaneth more than anyone else," Hl'garng answered.

Naaro nodded. "Yes, Hl'garng. A wife is an Ng'kukuu Gl'karnk'i...Rynn is my Ng'kukuu Gl'karnk'i."

"And thou hast a nightmare about Rynn?" Hl'garng inquired.

"Yes," Naaro replied.

"Mindest thee if I ask what it involved?" Hl'garng asked.

"She was being chased by some sort of monster," Naaro began. "It was in this dark temple of some kind. She had our son Kai with her. As she was running, she tripped, and Kai rolled from her grasp. She tried to get up, but the beast pinned her leg to the ground. As it was about to eat her, she yelled my name...and that's when it ended."

"It doth not sound pleasant," Hl'garng commented.

Naaro nodded in agreement. He rose from his bed and looked outside. "Hl'garng...I'm going to get a little air. Keep watch over Lich as you did while I was asleep, please?"

Hl'garng nodded and replied, "I shall."

With that, Naaro walked out of the hut and headed out of the village.

Rynn rested her hands gently on the leg of the wounded Chelgar. Her eyes showed her fatigue; much of her energy had gone into healing the many Chelgar which came to her. Getting this far had taken all day, and there were still several more to attend to. She let her healing energies flow through the Chelgar's leg, sealing the wound and healing it up, doing in seconds what would have taken weeks to do normally.

"Thank you," the Chelgar said politely. With that, it walked away.

Rynn noticed the maroon color in its fur from the mix of blood and the fur's natural color. Maroon...that was Naaro's skin color. As she attended to the next Chelgar, thoughts of Naaro flooded her head. Where was he? Was he alright? How long would it be until she saw him again? The thank-you of the Chelgar she had just healed went in one ear and out the other as her mind continued to concentrate on Naaro.

Naaro, where are you... Her mind began to run this thought over and over in her head, with a small "Lady?" in the background. Slowly it amplified, and the faraway look in Rynn's eyes faded. She blinked.

"Lady?" The Chelgar holding its gashed shoulder appeared quite confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rynn apologized, smiling. "I need a bit of a break."

The Chelgar nodded, and Rynn went back to Romyr's hut. Upon entering, she saw that Romyr was nowhere to be found. She walked to the room her and Kai were staying in and sat with her child. He slept peacefully in his makeshift crib. Rynn smiled at him, then her thoughts returned to Naaro.

"Naaro...Kai and I miss you. We want to see you again. Please..."

She sighed sadly and looked at Kai.

"You want to see Naaro again, do you?"

Rynn jumped and turned quickly to see a human boy with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a red jacket standing before her. He held a hockey stick in his hands.

"Y-yes, I do...who are you?" she inquired, somewhat suspicious of the new arrival.

"My name is Rody," the human replied. "I helped Naaro train and provided him with his tonfers. I can help you and your son get back to him if you like."

Rynn smiled within. "Why, I'd...I'd love to get back to him! How? What do I have to do?"

Rody smiled. "Now, just calm down. It's rather easy. I'll drop you there in a meteor of light. You'll be asleep during the entire process...you'll wake up upon impact."

"A meteor of light?" Rynn gulped. "Wouldn't that hurt me and Kai?"

Rody shook his head. "No, it will be perfectly safe...you won't feel the impact at all. And it's very quick...if a little startling to those on the planet."

Rynn nodded. If Naaro had trusted this human, then she could do the same. "Alright...let's do it."

"Ok...would you like to say your good-byes to the Chelgar first?" Rody inquired. Rynn nodded, and went off to do just that.

Rynn... Naaro couldn't stop thinking about Rynn, and about his dream. Could it be possible that he had had a vision? That Rynn had really been in trouble? No. He couldn't think that way...if he did, he'd lose hope. Without hope he probably would never see her again. He had to believe she was okay. The dream was only a dream...a nightmare, a trick his mind had played on him. Yes...he had to keep hoping.

Naaro looked out across the valley below him. A river ran through it, far into the snow-capped mountains at the other end of the valley. It was blue...blue like Rynn. He had to see her. He had to either get to her or find some way to get her to him. There was no time to wait any longer...it had to be now!

Naaro looked up into the sky, a bright twinkle catching his eye. "What the..." he mumbled to himself.

He stood up as a glowing orb of light began to grow in the sky. His eyes widened.

"A meteor...it's going to hit!" Naaro looked around, then back up at the meteor...it streaked toward the valley, coming down like a rock dropped from the top of the atmosphere.

Naaro shielded his eyes as it impacted. Back in the village, a blinding flash caught the attention of several.

A few of the warriors ran to Naaro's location." Guest...what hath happened?!" one cried.

Naaro lowered his arms, the light having died out. The meteor had proven to be the space object equivalent of a dud, leaving a small crater about ten feet wide and causing no damage whatsoever (with the exception of the crater).

"Just a meteorite I guess...must have burnt up before it was able to do any major dama–"

Naaro suddenly stopped. He was sensing...Rynn. And Kai! He hadn't felt their presence on the planet previously. How was it possible? He then looked closer at the crater...one small figure lay within it. He focused his senses on the crater, and sure enough, it was Rynn and Kai.

He rocketed down the hill, running at amazing speeds, leaping over anything in his way or sometimes just barrelling right through it. He had never run so fast before. The warriors were quite shocked and surprised at Naaro's ability to run, and significantly confused as to why he had taken off in the first place. Within the crater, Rynn's eyes slowly opened.

Naaro sensed her awakening, and shouted, "RYNN!!!"

Her ears received the loud cry, and quickly linked it to its origin. Rynn couldn't believe it...she was back to Naaro at last!

"NAARO!!!" she shouted, rising, waving to him enthusiastically as he sprinted across the valley. She walked from the crater and neither could help smiling. As Naaro neared her, he slowed his running down, reaching a simple jog before slowing to a walk.

"Nice entrance," he remarked, smiling.

She smiled back, and the two embraced. As Naaro's arms went around Rynn and Rynn's around Naaro, all which had been missing from their lives flowed back into them as if it had been held back by a massive dam and that dam had been shattered. The family was together again...Naaro, Rynn, and Kai.

"I'll never let myself be separated from you again, Rynn...no matter what force, however mighty it may be, tries, I'll never let it happen."

Rynn smiled, her eyes watering. "And I'll never let myself be separated from you either, Naaro...never."

After what seemed a sweet eternity, Rynn and Naaro finally broke their embrace.

"Well, we should get back to the village...I have a friend whom I want to introduce to my Ng'kukuu Gl'karnk'i."