The Gelfling with the Darkened Eyes

2. trouble

Cova looked at the spears and back up to his mentor. He knew what he did was both wrong yet right. However, the stonewood gelfling wanted to make sure the Reaper would be fine with it. The skeksis looked back at the guards, and back at Cova, slightly nodding. Cova immediately knew SkekSeg would want him to go see what trouble he caused.

"Fine, I'll go with you. And it's Cova."

The stonewood gelfling muttered as he walked towards the vapran guards. He looked back at SkekSeg one more time before looking back.

"Whatever, stonewood."

One of the guards replied coldly as they led Cova to a pretty large sized house. The brunette gelfing remembered his mentor told him that this kind of house was called a manor. Not that it was important anyway, but the skeksis just wanted him to be informed.

The guards opened the door to the manor and shoved Cova inside the building. They had no regard for him whatsoever. Not that they should care, since Cova wasn't one of them. However, stonewood gelfling seemed to wince a bit.

"Watch it!"

Cova said in a low growl. However, his tone shifted as he noticed a painting on the wall. It was a family of four gelfling: a mother and a father, a son, and a daughter. His blood ran cold as soon as he recognized one of the gelflings in the painting: the one Cova had sliced dagger across the cheek.

Soon enough, the guards led Cova into a room and locked the door after (again) shoving the stonewood inside. The gelfling glared at the now locked door.

"I've been expecting you, stonewood,"
A voice said from the corner of the room.
Cova dropped his attention on the door and looked at the gelfling who spoke.

The older gelfling looked like he was about to reunite with thra at any second. He looked weak, his hair balding, however, his eyes were still filled with life.

"It's Cova..."

He quietly corrected the older gelfling. He was starting to get tired of getting called "stonewood" all the time, but he had to watch his tone. Cova was speaking to an vapran elder, not a vapran guard.

"So, Cova... why did you attack my son?"

The old vapran said coldly. Cova opened his mouth to object but closed it. Even if he did tell the truth, Vaprans were always known to be thick headed.

"If I showed you my side of the story, would you believe me or just stick to the first one that you heard?"

Cova asked. The gelfling couldn't be sure if this vapran could be trusted.

"I just want to know why you harmed my son, that cut across his cheek will leave a scar."

The old vapran replied.

Cova held out his hand to dreamfast with the elder. He never really dreamfasted with any gelfling before, due to living with SkekSeg most of his life. The elder walked over to the younger gelfling and gently pressed his hand to Cova's.

Images of the incident that took place began to appear. Myte getting beaten up, the vapran male getting a new scar, and then preceding to run away due to the Reaper. Once the memory was over, the two gelflings let go.

Cova hoped it was enough to convince the elder. He watched as the old gelfling took a step back. The elder gelfling looked over at a painting of his son and somberly sighed.

"Hm.. I suppose that my son is a little too proud of himself to admit that he went after a harmless Grottan....."

The elderly gelfling finally responded. Cova was thankful that he didn't fall for his son's lies.

"However, you aren't off the hook yet..."

The older gelfling said as he walked towards his desk. The vapran took something out from his desk and brought it towards Cova.

The younger gelfling looked confused. How was he not "off the hook" yet? It didn't make any sense, unless the vapran wanted him to pay for the damages.

"What do you mean-"

Cova began before he was interrupted.

"I need your help Cova."

The vapran elder spoke as he handed the gelfling a necklace.

"My daughter,Vanya, has been missing for so long now. However, the guards have finally found something that belonged to her... and she dream-etched a message onto it.."

He explained as Cova examined the vapran necklace. It was silver with a clan emblem pendent.

Cova closed his eyes and held the pendent with both of his hands.

The stonewood gelfling saw the image of a gelfling appear. It was the gelfling that he saw earlier in the painting, but she looked worse. Her blueish pinkish and purplish hair was messy, and her clothes were tattered. Her skin was a sickly pale color. However, it was her eyes that stood out to him. The gelfling's eyes were violet, not pink like in the painting, and they were almost glowing. The violet veins around her eyes were glowing as well.

"I don't have much time before I lose myself again. But remember me... before I was like this. I'm sorry father, mother, brother. I don't think I'll be coming home soon. Please.... as my last wish.... don't find me.... I don't want you to be infected as well.. I lo-"

Vanya seemed to speak before cutting herself off. Cova noticed the gelfling closing her eyes while the veins only glowed brighter. The image vanished and the stonewood gelfling opened his eyes.

"So... can you find her? I know she didn't want us to.. but she can't handle whatever she has alone out there!"

The elder spoke. Cova looked at the pendent once more before looking back to the worried gelfling.

"I'm not sure... but I guess I can try."

Cova reluctantly replied. It wasn't like he was going to have a choice either way.

"Thank you Cova... I will be in your debt."

The vapran said before the stonewood gelfling left the office.

"What did I just get myself into.."

Cova thought to himself as he looked at the pendent again.