Gabrielle's Literatures

A little insight into Raven's origins and personality.

A little insight into Edmund's origins and personality.

A little insight into Set's origins and personality.

The skeksis are higher creatures. They never do mistakes... in their minds. They always have right... in their minds. And they never, I say never, admit to the mistake.

You don't believe it? Just WATCH...

There was only blood, flowing in small, rippling streams, staining the completely white and heartless snow with ruby droplets and waves.

The snow.

It was long time since he has seen the snow. No, when he TOUCHED it. It was long time ago and he thought he forgot. But now everything, every sensation, every snowflake, came to him with blinding clarity.

The snow.

And now, it was going red with his own blood, pouring from the wound. Rivulets. Circles. And drops.

He opened his eyes, pushing himself to do this, forcing himself, he knew that if he falls asleep now, in the white-ruby snow, injured and weak, he won't come back from this dream and the sight of white perfection will be his last one.

Gardener SkekFer was feeding her plants, second time this day, as the rose sun started to fade on the pregnant sky and the storm clouds started to form into most ominous and gravely shapes over her head.

She chirped in special, self invented tune and patted the large plant, which was looking at her with wide and spying eyes, perceiving her every move. That tune used to calm the plant and ease it enough to let her feed it. She found the small mouth in the huge corolla under the most leaved place... she patted it once more, now putting the small chunks of dead animals into the hole that was devouring them rapidly.

"Yes, my little child..." she whispered. "The storm... it will bring the water... which, connected with the meat, will make you grow even further... everyone will tremble before you, seeing you..."

The blood.

It was everywhere.

It stained his robes, it flew from his mouth, it was on his hands... the red droplets formed a beautiful yet ominous shapes on the wet floor... His ornamented white and yellow sleeves were soaked in it, as he held the stone in his hands.

He didn't even knew how he appeared here.

The floor was not made from polished grey stone, as in the castle, a place he knew so well, which held his secrets for hundred of trines, which he would call home... if he dared.

Here, in opposition, he felt awkward coldness of this place, alien, curtained, green silk fluttered around him like the huge gelfling wings, taking his breathe away, floating in the huge chamber in strange, misshapen dance...

"Tell me a story..."

Illustrator SkekLa and Chamberlain SkekSil, embraced tightly together, were laying in the abandoned chamber, deep in the least visited area of the castle. The room was lonely and almost deserted yet it has one thing which made their stay here more pleasant: a large amount of fabric, once gathered by SkekEkt and now discarted as forgotten and useless: for them it was perfect to lay on when they were meeting here, for discretion and safety.

"I don't know, my love..."

"Ish ith thoo bhold...?

"Maybe...we should try smaller things first?"

"Dhon't thell mhe yhou dhon't fhind theh idhea thrillhing..."

"Maybe... but it's my first time..."

The feast has just beginned and half of the skeksis seemed to be already bloated with sumptous food. They were eating in a manner which would give a stroke to every thinking creature, partly tearing the meat in most savage way, partly using lordly gestures and manners.

Counselor SkekKel bit a huge piece of a skreeku roast and started to chew vigorously, relishing the spicy taste, which was one of the Gourmand's finests. SkekKel loved to eat, as any skeksis, and his favorites were spicy, strong tastes, which he could find in meat and sauces SkekAyuk has been inventing since ages.

SkekKel shielded his eyes with the hand and helped himself into coming through really thick bushes. They were so thick that he wouldn't be able to force his huge body through them, if not will coming from the promise of the prey and lack of vines and green traps just few meters from him, judging by the sight.

He knew SkekLa already sprung with her fast legs and was ready to corner the animal, SkekShod, always smiling, was in his sight, looking at him cleverly from above the drapes of green.

SkekKel and SkekSil were marching together next to each other. The Counselor strode fast and impatient, the Chamberlain was smiling in special manner, whimpering so often that the Beast Master SkekUng, working as their military aid, growled furiously.

"Shut up, you worthless worm, we are not here to listen to you female-like voice!" he roared, advancing slightly to him but daring not to push with his anger forward.

SkekKel smiled a little, deeply amused. He started to train with the Beast Master with swords long ago but still couldn't expect the Emperor forgot to send SkekUng with them. He didn't oppose that, he knew that for now the Beast Master is better fighter than him. But he learnt fast. If he kept his pace, he will be as good as him. That won't eliminate SkekUng from diplomatic missions but maybe shut his beak, when he again will be...

SkekKel was sitting in his chambers, filling up a manuscript he needed to do for the Historian. He couldn't focus on his work, though. His thoughts were wandering around the mission he had few months ago and from which he almost didn't return. Now, sitting safely in his room and filling administrative tasks, he felt almost empty and lost, after so much thrill... even if it happened long time ago... but what are few months in the endless life of a skeksis?

His servant Tari was with him, ordering his scrolls and books he just used and putting them back on their place carefully and almost with love. SkekKel knew how his servant likes reading and if he worked well, he secretly was lending him minor books and scrolls for him to amuse himself and lick a little of knowledge.

It was unusual to see someone like Commandant Jay Waggen to ask anyone for help, especially not Admila, but he had, and for that reason alone Admila had been unable to turn him down. Under any other circumstance she might have toyed with the idea, just to see what he would do, but not in a situation like this. The case he was calling upon her for help with was one that she had been working on on her own for the better part of two months now.

Admila hated these sorts of social occasions, where the men all gathered to discuss the natural and aetheric sciences and congratulate each other on how terribly clever they all were, while the women all tittered and talked on and on about all the petty little things they were interested in. It was mind numbingly boring, tedious beyond measure and made all the more frustrating by its necessity.

Zakrivea hurried about her task of preparing the Queen’s bedchamber for the evening. The night was cold so she had to see to it that the little coal stove in the corner was well stoked and that the foot warmer would be ready, for the Queen hated it when her bed sheets were cold. It was one of the few things that would earn Zakrivea any form of reprimand at this point, especially now. Though the Queen was ignorant of Raithea’s plan, it was as though she could sense that dire was happening and though she could not be certain, she had her suspicions. Perhaps she believed that if she were to treat Zakrivea well enough she would put some kind word in for her to stop Raithea, as though that were possible. Once Raithea got the germ of an idea nothing could stop him from bringing it to fruition unless he chose to abandon it in favor of some more promising pursuit.

Vyna wanted everyone to be proud of her. And they were proud. She was a lovely child, which was everywhere and everytime when someone needed her, who always had a kind word for everyone and that helped even in the toughest works. Vyna was a little angel come down from heaven, for the delight of the mortals. That's why she had a nickname. Angel.

She found him in a shady spot, just off the annexe cottage for service. Her presence has always offered comfort, relief and peace of mind. For him, the presence of Vyna was something more. He was just a kid and did not know how to call it in the right words , but an adult would call this feeling with childlike ease.

Magicians' children always gathered in the gardens of the Fram's residence. Avarish Fram liked children and was happy to accept them at his home. Children loved the beauty of the gardens, which were exceptionally rich and well cared for in the house of Frams. There were plenty of hiding places and shady nooks, where young people could keep their secrets.

Gwan was trying to conjure fire. It was a bit pointless, because the magical talent was discovered at the age of eight or nine years, and Gwan was only six. However, children of the magicians loved to imitate their parents, as they wanted to grow up faster. Gwan's face turned red with the effort, but it was unsuccessful - the fire did not appear.