Sixteen: Present

Tuban was yelling at another Irnus, sharp claws at the ready for a fight when Coolyala saw her five days after entering the portal. Tuban had feral red eyes, a dull coloring of pink fur and a height of about seven feet. She was easily enraged and easily obeyed by most of her kind, however not so much by others. She had what Irnus called Srist which is who she bound herself to for the rest of her life. Coolyala thought it was a savage thing because not only was there a blood oath to each other, but also fighting, hunting, biting, and blood smearing that went into the whole ritual. It was gross.

Tuban caught sight of Coolyala and froze. Her red eyes fading into a yellow color and looking Coolyala over with suspicion and curiosity. Tuban turned back to the Irnus she was arguing with and punched her in the face, then growled at someone else before making her way over.

Coolyala had a cloak about her, keeping the harsh winds of Gnidaf Mlaer from her body. It was still like a cold knife cutting into every bone and numbing it almost instantly before an ache began to gnaw at her.

"You far home, Youngling!" Tuban said.

"Don't call me that!"

Tuban smiled. "You fight me?"

Coolyala rolled her eyes. "I need you help, Tuban. It's important."

"What help?"

"There's a stone here, unlike others. Somewhere in your ruler's home, I think."

Tuban narrowed her eyes. "Wrong, Yala. Stone no here. Ohuo hands."

Coolyala groaned. "You let them take it!"

Tuban frowned. "Ohuo friendly. Give Yarre gift refuse no."

Coolyala spun around and put her hands on her head. She was too late, too late for the first stone.

"Ohuo Uarre home. Yala see?"

Coolyala blinked and turned back to her friend. "He's here? Really?"

Tuban nods. "Yarre invite party. Ohuo agree."

"When is the party?"

Tuban shrugged. "Yarre say no. Say night. Maybe tomorrow."

Coolyala groaned again. "Tuban, I need to get the stone back! It's dangerous! If the Ohuo keeping finding the others, they will destroy many, many worlds."

Tuban snorted. "Stone no powerful. Tuban strong."

Stupid Irnus arrogance!

Coolyala supposed that if she were to get the stone, she'd have to go to the party. Which meant she'd have to wait. "I can't stay here long," she told Tuban.

"Tuban know, Yala. No worry. Tuban help Yala. Yala safe, go home."

Coolyala smiled. "Thank you."

Tuban shrugged. "Hungry? Yala need food."

She laughed and followed Tuban to her home.

That evening, Tuban got a summons from Yarre. So, she left Coolyala alone, protected by Doolabin. Coolyala was not worried about the Ohuo coming here. And she was also not worried for herself right now. She was worried for Toban and her world. She was worried Yarre would protect the Ohuo rather than seeing the truth. Females, especially those in great power, did not listen to outsiders when they warned them of a threat. Instead, the females tore the outsider apart. No, Coolyala was not worried about herself. Yarre understood what would happen if she did kill Coolyala. But what would happen if Coolyala decided not to listen to Yarre and attack the Ohuo?

Doolabin was reading a book, unaware of the worry she had for him and his people. He was a quiet Irnus, enjoyed the small things in his world that helped to balance out Toban's chaos.

A knock on the door and Doolabin sighed, stood and went to open it. A red Irnus stood, shaking a bit. "Reyar ese Laya akspe orvisit."

Doolabin turned. "Yarre speak you."

She nods. "I will go. Thank you, Doolabin."

"Welcome you, always."

She followed the red Irnus up a winding grey trail, through a forest of dead trees, around a lake of wastes, and to a stone building the resembled a ruined castle.

Ruined it may be, but it was a fortress Yarre was proud of. Irnus could easily run around crumbling rubble, easily see what Coolyala could not between the walls, and the dark grey Irnus could blend with the scenery.

She was led through an archway, and into a decrepit room filled with Irnus of various shades. The one directly across the room was the most dangerous. Yarre, ruler of Gnidaf Mlaer, was a dark grey that made her look sickly. But she was the strongest and the most deceitful. Coolyala looked for the Ohuo but there was no sign of him. So, she smiled and said in the Irnus language, "Yarre, thank you for allowing me into your world."

"Coolyala, you grown youngling I saw."

"My parents did well, I think."

Yarre nodded. "Tuban say you know Ohuo."

"Yes."

"Why enemy?"

"He wants to destroy the worlds. The stone you gave him will be the way he does so."

"Stone power no."

Coolyala worked hard to keep her voice level and without a hint of annoyance. "The stone, with twelve others, will be the death of us all if they collect them."

"Ohuo one stone. Harm no."

"They want all. I can't let them have them."

"Yala want power?"

Coolyala shook her head. "I only wish to keep death from coming. So I must stop them and guard the stones."

Yarre stared at her for a long time. Around them, Irnus whispered amongst themselves. "Yala powerful collect thirteen stones. Yala know use stones?"

"No, and I do not wish to."

Yarre frowned. "Ohuo say protect. Ohuo say you destroy. Yarre trust Yala?"

Coolyala sighed and shook her head. "Yarre know Coolyala. Yarre watch Coolyala grow. Yarre no trust Coolyala? Tuban Yala friend. Coolyala no want Yarre Tuban hurt."

Yarre frowned then hissed something to one male, after which, he left. Coolyala waited, heart pounding. She also began to feel a burning in her throat – the start of consequences for staying in this world.

Ten minutes later, the Ohuo appeared and went to Yarre, giving her a smile full of razor sharp teeth. "Yarre!" His voice was raspy, cold, and menacing.

"Yarre see stone," Yarre demanded.

The Ohuo hesitated. "The stone is at my home, safe and guarded."

"No!" Coolyala hissed. Everyone looked at her. She glared at the Ohuo. "You are a manipulative, psychotic beast!"

The Ohuo laughed and stalked towards her. "And you are a naïve youngling who is stubborn and believes everything her parents tell her."

"You want to destroy everything!"

"And you believe that because you do not know us, Ylfrettub."

She clenched her fists. "Call me that again, and see what happened!"

He grinned. Opened his mouth, but Yarre stopped him. "Stone now!"

The Ohuo gritted his teeth at the order but turned with a smile. "As I said, Yarre. It is home."

"Give stone. Ohuo no want Yarre angry."

The Ohuo sighed. With a move that she couldn't keep up with, he had Coolyala from behind; one hand around her waist, the other holding a blade to her throat. "Kitale is getting impatient. I told you about this youngling, Yarre. I told you to lock her up if she appears."

Yarre looked unfazed by Kitale's sudden mood change. "Yala talk Yarre, Kitale. Yarre want words Yala. Give stone Yarre want see."

"Yarre must learn to listen to warnings," Kitale hissed. "Lead me to your dungeons so I may lock her up.

"Kitale harm Yala no!" Tuban yelled.

"Tuban, down!" Yarre hissed. Without argument, Tuban did as ordered, unable to resist. Coolyala rolled her eyes. "Kitale, do you believe that they will keep me locked up forever?"

"No," he whispered in her ear. "But maybe long enough for us to retrieve the rest."

"If you can find them."

He chuckled, running the tip of the blade down her throat and to her chest. "It won't matter, youngling. You will be dead in enough time here."

Coolyala hid the fear of dying in painful sickness from him and said, "You think I can't escape?"

"Not in time, Ylfrettub ," he purred.

He began walking, her in front at knife point, towards the doorway that led to Yarre's dungeons. "You will pay for this!" She spat at him.

The arm around her waist tightened until she felt bones crack. She gasped. He growled, "No one gets away with stealing and running from us. No one lives to apologize either. You will rot in this world and wish you had given in. You will be in pain and wish I had killed you, or Milbaral, or the Zilzi. But you will suffer instead!"

They entered a dim hall where doors lined each hall. He made her go deep into it until they came upon one that made her stomach jolt.

He opened it with a deadly smile. "Enjoy the last few hours of your life, Yala!"

She struggled against him. "What is this?"

Kitale shoved her inside and laughed. "The sick room, made for prisoners Yarre wants tortured a brief time before dying!" With that, he slammed the door shut.