Moonhawk 2 - The Blackcrow

Chapter 39 - Shadowy Bargains

"On... your planet?" She repeated and was left in confusion. Her thoughts got distracted by what the wizard questioned.

He only gave a simple, yet annoyed nod as answer. "My planet. I'm King Ogron, the ruler of Zudak." Starla looked on as he approached closer. "So, I ask you again: what are you doing on my planet, young lady?"

It was at that moment where Starla felt extremely conflicted. Should she be honest with the magician? Should she tell the truth of why she came to this specific planet? The young bean glanced at the stranger, fearful as to what they were going to do next. Perhaps the stranger could explain further into the things she researched? But she had the almost primal feeling that, while in the presence of such a figure, her knowledge was best left not shared... Yet she still found the words flowing.

"I... I was curious about the elemental crystals... m-maybe you've heard of it before and could share some knowledge about it with me...?" Starla stumbled over her own words, which made the mauve wizard king snap his head back to her and give her a scowl, but this scowl was different. It was less fury and more sheer confusion.

"You're no witch, yet you have little knowledge of elemental crystals?! What are you up to, intruder? How did you come across such arcane knowledge?!" Ogron grumbled, obviously confused. "Is that what star travelers do? Do they let their young go striding out knowing rare knowledge and crash into planets of old asking about powers they can't comprehend?! Grimm damn it..."

Starla felt somewhat called out when Ogron began ranting grumpily. With her hand in her pocket, clutching that verdant earth crystal in her hidden paw, she innocently turned to the one figure who she knew had knowledge about this.

"Uhh... it wasn't as if I found out about it all on my own... M-My parents... they know a wizard who had those books. I know I did go and snoop around behind their backs... and steal a shuttle... but I really wanted to know!" She explained to the best of her ability. But Ogron furrowed his brow a bit at the mention of a wizard in Starla's story.

"What did you say? Another wizard?" Ogron kept growling and was all ears now.

The young and slightly naive adventurer Starla mustered up a little bit too much confidence by pure accident the more she explained. "Yes, a wizard! He works with my parents and he has a big library as well - That's where I found out about the crystals and this planet... I personally have never really met another wizard other than Saros until now."

Ogron's expression turned from confusion to fury so suddenly upon Starla even mentioning Saros' name, it was like a lightning bolt hit the room. Red sparks of energy fizzled around Ogron as he growled loudly.

"You...! So you DO know more than what you were letting on!" Ogron's furious remarks made Starla squeak and flinch in shock. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you're just outright lying about anything else by now! You have little idea the halls of power you have entered, let alone the truth of the wizard you had placed your trust into. Saros deserted his world, and for what?!"

Starla could only sink into the seat she was sitting on as Ogron towered over her in fury. Sweat began to pool on her forehead as she froze in the face of a storm so fierce.

"Like you, he abandoned his world... He abandoned me: his duty, his legacy, his wife-to-be and his planet! For you to follow in his ignorant ways, you must be one naive and foolish star traveler! Guards?! Take this one to the cells!" And with that, two armored wizards stomped forward and summoned lengths of pitch black chains to have a good hold of Starla and took her away. Soon enough, they also surrounded her body with black wobbly chains. Starla was too confused as to what Ogron was talking about to want to resist. She couldn't even comprehend what just transpired.