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【Vision of an Alternate Future】

Arc 2: Return of the Crystal Guardians

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【VAF】Chapter║: 32 ─ High Protector

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Naole now understood the chronology of events, and it was now up to him as the only surviving Crystal Guardian to restore the legacy of Crystalorb. Naole's mind raced with questions, and images of the Crystalorb Moon being sucked into a vortex plagued his mind. Naole needed answers, and to find the answers he would need to summon the knowledge of the Forbidden.

Naole stands at the centre of what Crystalans call; a listening Chamber.

Naole : " I Naole; Guardian of Crystalorb, call upon the Light of Crystalorb! I call upon the Light of knowledge! I call upon the Light of Hope!" Then Naole gathered all his energy and focused it into his entire body, and as the Crystals in his cells became energized they began to transform Naole's skin to a deep Blue Crystalline form. Naole then used his Crystalline skin to produce an aura that then created an energy field shield "I call upon the Legend of Heart! Hear me Father!"

Then Naole senses the spiritual presence of his father Nalen, and a Voice becomes audible.

Nalen : " I am the Voice of reason! The voice of peace! The flame that can never be extinguished!"

Naole : " Father!"

Nalen : " I am always with you my son!"

Naole : " I feel so lost Father! Crystalorb has been defeated, and I've awaken to find that the remnants of our people are in hiding, pursued by a relentless enemy. Our friends have made incredible sacrifices to ensure our survival, and the human race stands at the brink of destruction. I feel so inadequate!"

Nalen : " To whom much is given, much is expected. You are equal to the task my son. Be the Light you need! To find the strength you need, you must look within yourselves!"

Naole : " How?"

Nalen : " The true power of a Crystal Guardian flows from the heart! The power of a Crystal Guardian comes in response to a need. The power of a Crystal Guardian emanates from a choice! Remember what it means to be a Crystal Guardian, and you will find all the strength you need to overcome your obstacles."

Naole : " Is it really possible to remake the Spirit Stone?"

Nalen : " The power of the Spirit Stone is its Knowledge! That Knowledge can never be destroyed!"

Naole : " Then the Spirit Stone can be remade?"

Nalen : " Ooh my son! The fact that I can come through to you without the proper ancient ritual to summon the dead means that the Spirit Stone is still in existence! I'm not talking about the ritual to cause the physical manifestation of the dead, I'm coming through to you as a thought manifestation, and I'm drawing Spirit Energy directly from your Chest Crystal! This is a Chest Crystal connection!"

Naole : " Between your Chest Crystal and mine?"

Nalen : " Yes! The Spirit Energy reserves in the body take much longer to replenish than other forms of Energy and because of this it will be at least 4 years before I can come through again. Only the Spirit Stone has long-term reserves of Spirit Energy!"

Naole : " Then where is the Spirit Stone?"

Nalen : " The Spirit Stone is in a place of infinite darkness. It is unable to leave because to leave, the door must be opened on both sides. Reach out to the Spirit Stone, and the Spirit Stone will reach out to you."

Naole : " How do I do that?!"

Nalen : " You must find the Spirit of a dead Crystalan, but still anchored in its Chest Crystal. Then use that Spirit of a Crystalan to open a door to the Spirits of those who are still in the Spirit Stone, and once the connection is made a fragment of the Spirit Stone will be able to come through in an appropriate Vessel."

Naole : " I understand Father!!"

Nalen : " You will need enormous amounts of energy for this process, and to find this energy you'll need to call upon the friends of Crystalorb."

Naole : " Thank you Father! I will return the Light of Crystalorb."

Nalen : " Good Luck my son! I am always with you! Remember that!” the voice begins to fade "Remember that!"

Naole contacts the AFS Nala D2586L, and invites Captain Atola and her senior staff aboard the CCS Cada A2286C for an emergency conference at 3000 LightYears from Andronus.

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As Captain Atola and her senior staff come aboard the CCS Cada A2286C they can't help but be fascinated by the advanced technology they find on the Crystalorb Ship, and they wondered what Naole wanted to talk to them about, but they were also eager to hear what Naole was planning. Those who believed knew that Naole would have made contact with the Forbidden, and they wanted to hear the message of the Forbidden.

As they enter the CCS Cada's Command centre they find an Armoured Naole sitting on his command chair, and Naole stands to welcome them.

Naole : " I would have met you at the flight deck, but I had to authorize some upgrades."

Capt-Atola : " We understand! I'm amazed that this large vessel can be operated by a single individual."

Naole : " It was never meant to be maintained by an individual, but the ship virtually flies itself."

Capt-Atola : " Incredible!"

Naole : " I've been in contact with my father, and he says that the true power of the Spirit Stone is its Knowledge. He says that; that Knowledge can never be destroyed! That the Spirit Stone is in a place of infinite darkness! The Spirit Stone is unable to leave because to leave, the door must be opened on both sides. He says that, if I reach out to the Spirit Stone, the Spirit Stone will reach out to me."

Capt-Atola : " How is that possible?"

Naole : " I must find the Spirit of a dead Crystalan, but still anchored in the Crystalan's Chest Crystal. Then use that Spirit of a Crystalan to open a door to the Spirits of those who are still in the Spirit Stone, and once the connection is made a fragment of the Spirit Stone will be able to come through in an appropriate Vessel."

Capt-Atola : " Appropriate Vessel?"

Naole : " Fragments of the Spirit Stone are a direct link to the Spirit Stone, and therefore require adequate protection."

Bruce : " Where would you find the fused Chest Crystal of a dead Crystalan? All the remaining Crystalans with Chest Crystals are in stasis on O'con, and the journey to O'con is virtually impossible without an Armada of Warships."

Naole : " I've been thinking about that, and I've found a solution to that problem! Circleans are also Crystalans!"

Bruce : " What? You would risk breaking the peace treaty that has been holding for over 500 years?"

Naole : " What peace? The Circleans have broken the peace treaty in more ways than I can mention."

Bruce : " How so?"

Naole : " How do you think the Migon knew how to defeat Crystalorb? Clearly the Migon Federation had inside help! The Circle has the kind of stealth technology that would have allowed them to monitor Human activities, and supply the Migon Federation with actionable Intelligence."

Capt-Atola : " Why would the Circleans help the Migon Federation?"

Naole : " Because the Migon are as evil as the Circleans have chosen to be! The evil of the Circleans is a failing of their Spirits, but the true failing was that of Crystalorb."

Capt-Atola : " Crystalorb? How?"

Naole : " The Crystalorb Leadership grew overconfident; Their pride was their undoing! They lost a healthy respect for an enemy who's older and more powerful. The arrogance of the Crystalorb Leadership is the reason Crystalorb was defeated."

Bruce : " I don't believe this?!"

Capt-Atola : " Bruce!" speaking in a commanding tone "This isn't the time for your personal grievances!"

Naole : " Let him speak Captain!" Naole approaches Bruce "As a non-Crystalan you have a right to freely address me on any issue!" he looks at Bruce in the eyes "You don't owe me any allegiance as an officer of Crystalorb. You are free to disagree with me openly, even publicly."

Bruce : " I am as much a Crystalan as Captain Atola!" Clearly angered, and his eyes firmly on Naole "You abandoned your people! Where were you when they needed you? Atola believes you to be our saviour; the Legendary Blue Guardian!" with obvious sarcasm "Now you presume to judge those who were there to make the hard decisions? They believe you can save all of us, but I see through the facade!"

Naole : " You are right, I did abandon Crystalorb, but I did so at the explicit request of the Spirit Stone."

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Bruce : " Please????"

Naole : " At the time I had outlived all my children, and I was about to outlive my grandchildren. The Spirit Stone sensed my desire to join those who had gone beyond the veil. I had become tired of life; Tired of endless war! If I had stayed I would have died, and then where would you be?"

Bruce : " That still does not give you the right to judge those who were there!"

Naole : " A Crystal Guardian has a right to make this judgement! You see; You would know this if you were a Crystalan!"

Bruce : " I am a Crystalan!"

Naole : " No your not! You have the essence, but you have not made the choice! Atola is a Crystalan by right, and by choice; This is why even buried under mountains of rock I could hear her call out to me! Only a true Crystalan can call out to a Crystal Guardian. For those born outside Crystalorb being a Crystalan is a choice."

Bruce : " My father …"

Naole : " Your farther was a Crystalan!" Naole interrupts Bruce "Like Atola, your father made a choice, he accepted his legacy." Naole grabs Bruce's shoulder "You will live to see the faith of man restored! Of that much I'm certain! A day is coming when courage will return to the hearts of man, and all human kind will be free of the fear that now torments their hearts!"

Bruce : " But … !"

Capt-Atola : " Enough Bruce!” a stern look at Bruce “You still answer to me! I would like to understand why the Circleans would betray the entire human race?"

Naole : " Circleans have never had any loyalty to the Human race. In fact, the Circleans tried to destroy the Human race during the Circlean Wars."

Capt-Atola : " But why actively help the Migon?"

Naole : " They must have made some sort of deal with the Migon Federation. The Crystalorb Leadership consistently failed to act against Circlean violations of the peace treaty, and in the end the entire human race paid the price. Hold on!" Naole's attention shifts to something else "I hear you!"

Capt-Atola : " Who?"

Naole " Someone is calling out to me! The people on that planet!" the Holographic displays show the sixth planet in the system "Their pain, their despair, it calls out to me!"

Capt-Atola : " We don't have time to intervene in these matters! We have bigger concerns."

Naole : " My father said that I should remember what it means to be a Crystal Guardian, and I will find all the strength I need to overcome my obstacles. The true power of a Crystal Guardian flows from the heart! The power of a Crystal Guardian comes in response to a need; I feel their need!"

Capt-Atola : " Why is it that you have to respond immediately?"

Naole : " When one becomes a Crystal Guardian the Spirit Stone arms you with the Guardian Compass. It's a spiritual connection to other Crystalans, but it sometimes extends to other beings that have a deep connection to Crystalans. It's the Guardian Compass that allowed me to hear you calling out to me on Azleck. It triggers the protective instinct of a Crystal Guardian. Some believe that this ability predates the Chest Crystal, and it is in fact a human ability."

Capt-Atola : " But does it have to be now!"

Naole : " I hear the call, hear the despair, I answer! Whether I can help is yet to be determined!"

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The CCS Cada A2286C moved into the high altitude Atmosphere of the sixth planet in the Solar System SSJ623189, the CCS Cada then began a scan of the planet to determine the location of the population. When the analysis of the planetary scans was completed it was discovered that the planet has a Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, Methane and Helium Atmosphere. The Methane levels in the Atmosphere are essentially minimal, and that makes it possible for humans to breathe the planet's air.

Naole explains the report to Atola and her senior staff.

Naole : " The planet seems to be dying; It's the result of some sort of toxic contamination to the planet's ocean, and the planet has only two continents the pollution has covered the entire planet. Most of the vegetation on the planet is dying, and that indicates that the toxic pollutants have made their way onto the land masses, but there is an aberration on the smaller continent." Images appear on Holographic displays "The vegetation at the centre of the smaller continent seems to be surviving, and it hosts an indigenous population of Humanoids."

Capt-Atola : " Ape man!" she takes a closer look at the Image of a native Humanoid “They’re a kind of mix between a gorilla and a chimp, the green fir is different, and the tail is an interesting twist"

Naole : " They are essentially a pre-Industrial Civilisation, and they live in a village right at the centre of the forest. Estimated population; 3000! I'm going down there to find out what has them so distressed."

Capt-Atola : " I'll come with you!"

Naole : " No! I'm going alone!"

Bruce : " Without security?"

Naole : " What are they going to do? Throw sticks and stones at me?"

Capt-Atola : " At least take your Crystal Armour!"

Naole : " Don't worry! My Crystal Armour will come to me if I need it! I've been immobile for 321 years; I need to stretch my legs."

Naole then leaves the CCS Cada A2286C and sets a course for the outskirts of the village, armed only with his Manacle of Ilesia.

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Naole landed 20km away from the village and began to collect samples of the vegetation, insects and animal blood. Naole's plan was to slowly make his way towards the village, he would circle the village, and then he would move in and study the natives, but Naole had no intension of making contact with the Apeman. If everything went according to plan the Apeman would never know that he was even there.

As Naole quietly made his way towards the Apeman Village he came upon an Apeman hunting party, and though the Apeman could not see Naole they could somehow sense his presence. The Manacle of Ilesia was once the main tool of Crystalorb's Ilesian Guards, but it now used only in covert operations in human territories, it allowed Naole to move unseen, and it amplified Naole's natural abilities.

When Naole realized that the Apeman could sense his presence, and that it unsettled them, he decided to back off a little. Naole remain close enough for his Manacle of Ilesia to continue to transmit video and audio to the CCS Cada A2286C for analysis. Once the CCS Cada A2286C completed language analysis, Naole could then use his Manacle of Ilesia for machine translation should it become necessary?

Just as the Apeman were becoming more relaxed something startled them, and they began to run for their lives. The Apeman were being pursued by a reptilian creature that had the ability to change the colour of its skin in order to blend into the environment. The Apeman hunting party that included 18 adults and 15 sub-adults was quickly scattered into the jungle as they desperately tried to survive.

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Onboard the CCS Cada A2286C a priority transmission comes in form Naole.

Naole : " Are you seeing this?"

Capt-Atola : " Where did they come from?"

Naole : " They don't belong here"

Capt-Atola : " We're detecting six of them!"

Naole : " I'm intervening!"

Bruce : " I strongly advice against that!"

Naole : " It's only a few of them!"

Capt-Atola : " Without Crystal Armour?"

Naole : " I can take them!"

Bruce : " It could be an incursion, and if they find out that you’re a Crystal Guardian there could be trouble?"

Capt-Atola : " Be careful sir, we don't know how much weaponry they're carrying."

Naole : " Will do!"

The link with Naole is suspended.

Bruce : " This is reckless, why does he insist on battling the Hakum without Crystal Armour?"

Capt-Atola : " He knows what he's doing!"

Bruce : " Your blind faith will be the end of him!"

Capt-Atola : " His power is more than divination! They used to call him Master Guardian."

Bruce : " This is still reckless"

Capt-Atola : " Watch!"

Atola and her senior staff watch as Naole battled the first of the Hakum. The Hakum are; about 2.4 meters tall, biped, with a 1.3 meters long tail, their muscular bodies encased in reptilian skin covered in scaly bone armour, their two hands are equipped with razor sharp claws designed to cut through flesh and the mouth is covered with razor sharp teeth along with a bite force capable of crashing bone.

They watched as Naole easily grabbed the first of the Hakum by the throat, and as he squeezed the Hakum's neck shattered. Three of the Hakum's companions tried to come to his aid, but Naole used his Manacle of Ilesia to easily dispose of them with Electrolaser Lightning Plasma Energy Balls. The remaining Hakum’s decided to run, but Naole would not let them escape, and because of Naole's rapid flight capabilities the Hakum had no hope of escape.

The fight was over in a flash, but the Apeman had seen Naole engage the Hakum, and they were coming closer to see the creature that walked like the ravenous beasts. The Apeman had witnessed Naole's power, and even though they were afraid, they recognized something familiar about Naole, they could feel Naole's aura, an energy that has some similarity to their own energy.

One of the younger Apeman was bolder than the other Apeman, and so he approached Naole and got close enough to touch Naole, but then he quickly stepped back.

Naole opens a Holographic Communications Channel with the CCS Cada.

Naole : " Naole reporting!"

Capt-Atola : " I read you Guardian!"

Naole : " What is Crystalorb's policy on first contact?"

Capt-Atola : " Crystalorb didn't make first contact anymore; they preferred that the African Federation or the other 4 Human Federations make first contact with other species."

Naole : " Do you know why?"

Capt-Atola : " It is said that the Crystalorb Leadership held the view that contact with Crystalans had the potential to radically change the course of a primitive Civilisation."

Naole : " I've just broken protocol then."

Capt-Atola : " How so?"

Naole : " The Apeman can see me! That skirmish with the Hakum exposed me and compromised my stealth."

Capt-Atola : " Has your Manacle of Ilesia been damaged?"

Naole : " No! There is something special about the Apeman."

Capt-Atola : " In what way?"

Naole : " I think when I raised my energy output they were able to lock on to my aura!"

Capt-Atola : " How is that possible? They are behaving like Crystalans!"

Naole : " I think that we are the one behaving like them!"

Capt-Atola : " What?"

Naole : " I’m not sure, but their DNA may have gone into the original Crystal." Naole's attention shifts to the Apeman "Hold on!"

Capt-Atola : " What is it?"

Naole : " I think they want me to go with them!" Naole reflects "Huh! I'm going with them to their Village, and I'll be in continuous contact."

The Holographic Communications Channel with the CCS Cada is suspended.

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On the way to the village Naole used his Manacle of Ilesia to continue to transmit video and audio to the CCS Cada A2286C for language analysis, and by the time they arrive at the village the CCS Cada had completed language analysis, Naole could then use his Manacle of Ilesia for machine translation. When they arrived at the village the village security force arrested Naole and took him into custody.

Naole allowed himself to be arrested because he wanted to study the Apeman’s justice systems. From CCS Cada's analysis, Naole learned that the Apeman called themselves Velrovians, and they called their planet Crasla; which loosely translates to Our World in the Velrovians language. Naole learned that the Velrovian leaders believed him to be associated with what they called the beasts; the Hakum.

The Velrovian leaders planned to execute Naole the following morning in the centre of town for all Velrovians to see. However the Velrovians who Naole had saved from the Hakum pleaded Naole's case, but without a proper justice system their pleas fell on deaf ears, and further protests by those who wanted to help Naole would only lead to them sharing Naole's fate. Naole was unconcerned, he told the Velrovians who tried to help him not to risk their lives, and that everything would be fine.

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The next morning tensions were high onboard the CCS Cada, and Atola's senior staff wanted to intervene, but Naole had asked that they not interfere.

A clearly agitated Bruce watches as the Velrovian security guards bring Naole to the centre of the village for a public execution.

Bruce : " This is madness!"

Capt-Atola : " It seems that way doesn't it?"

Bruce : " Are we just going to stand here and let this happen?"

Capt-Atola : " Yes!"

Bruce : " Why? He has the power to escape, why doesn't he use it?"

Capt-Atola : " You still don't get it!"

Bruce : " What? Have I missed something?"

Capt-Atola : " These Velrovians can't hurt Naole! They don't have the tools to harm someone as powerful as Naole"

Bruce : " What are you talking about? Even a Crystal Guardian can be poisoned or injured!"

Capt-Atola : " Not this Crystal Guardian!"

Bruce : " How can you be so sure?"

Capt-Atola : " Naole is an ascended Crystalan! A Crystal Guardian with the power to transform to a Crystalline Form."

Bruce : " I hope you know what you are doing"

The disapproving Bruce continued to watch.

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The Velrovian leaders gathered at what Velrovians call the place of judgement, and a crowd quickly gathered to observe the execution of what they had been told was one of the vile forest beasts. Velrovian executions tended to be a bloody affair, with the toss of a coin deciding weather the victim is hung or decapitated. The tossing of the coin would be done by one of the Five village chiefs, and this time it was Carlet who would make the toss. Oracle Justa would confirm the results, and the execution would proceed.

Chief Carlet throws the coin into the air.

Carlet : " The coin has spoken, and rope it is!"

Justa : " Fate has chosen the rope for the beast!"

Carlet : " Then we will proceed!"

They bring Naole onto the stone gallous, and when the executioner pulls the lever Naole falls through the hole, but because of Naole's weight the rope breaks and he falls straight through and lands on his feet.

Justa : " What?" he looks at Naole "Then it's the Axe!"

The crowd cheers as the guards led Naole back onto the platform and tie him to the chopping block.

Carlet : " Off with the beast's head!"

The executioner raised his large axe and when he brought it down there was a loud clang! As though metal forcibly came into contact with metal. The Axe had been bent and broken, but Naole was unharmed, and the Axe never even broke his skin. Shock reverberated through the crowd, and some began to run away.

Justa : " What is this?" he looks at Naole “What kind of monster are you?"

Then the crowd moves back even further as Naole easily brakes off the metal Chains that were used to restrain him. He begins to speak using his Manacle of Ilesia for machine translation.

Naole : " I am Naole Olen of Crystalorb! Knowledge Guardian! Envoy of the Forbidden!" one of the guards moves towards Naole, and Naole turns and points a finger at the guard "Do not try my patience!"

Carlet : " Why have you come here?"

Naole : " I'm here because you called out to me!"

Justa : " We? How could we have called you? We don't even know what you are!"

Naole : " I am a Guardian! Somehow your despair called out to me."

Carlet : " A Guardian of what?"

Naole : " A Knowledge Guardian! I protect the Knowledge of Crystalorb! I protect the Light of Knowledge!"

Justa : " What sort of knowledge?"

Naole : " All of Crystalorb's accumulated Knowledge!"

Carlet : " What is Crystalorb?"

Naole : " My home! My world!"

Justa : " What do you know of the beasts?"

Naole : " The beasts are called Hakum; they are the servants of the Migon Federation. My people have been at war with the Migon Federation for generations. The Hakum that are here crashed on this planet some 1600 years ago. They were transporting toxic materials to Migon Federation space, but something happened to their freighter and it crashed on this planet. The toxic materials killed most of the life of this planet, but somehow this village and the surrounding forest were able to survive."

Carlet : " Our Oracles have the power to make plants grow!"

Naole : " Show me!"

Justa then proceeds to make a small plant grow a little by using his eyes' which incidentally are Clear Crystals.

Justa : " A few of the Velrovian are born with Oracle eyes, and these eyes allow us to see into the shadows and accelerate plant growth. Oracles of ancient times kept this forest from dying, and we use our power to help our people farm all the food they need."

Naole : " I see!" Naole opens his Guardian robes to reveal his Chest Crystal to the surprise of the Velrovians, and then his Chest Crystal flashes three times "We too have what you would call an Oracle eye!"

Naole had used his Chest Crystal to summon his Crystal Armour to him. Naole also sends a message to Atola asking her to deliver additional equipment.

Carlet : " On your chest?"

Naole's Crystal Armour arrives and hovers in front of Naole. The Velrovians are now even more afraid than before, but Naole's energy somehow calms them. Naole then touches the Crystal Armour sphere.

Naole : " I am the light on the hill!" The Guardian Armour sphere begins to open "The line in the sand!" Light energy increases, making it hard to see Naole "Here and no further!"

Crystal Armoured Naole then uses the Clear Crystal that formed Naole's Blue Guardian Armour's Left hand Energy Crystal to make another small plant grow a little.

Justa : " You are like Velrovians?"

Naole : " Crystalan abilities incorporate Velrovian abilities; This is why I was able to hear you calling out to me."

Carlet : " So there are others like you?"

Naole : " Yes! I must leave now, but before I leave I will give you four Classes of tools; 11 Sceptres of Leadership to make you better leaders, 12 Amulets of Knowledge to enhance your understanding, 120 Rings of Power to enhance your physical strength and 500 Manacles of Power to help you defend yourselves against the Hakum." Captain Atola and Bruce land with the equipment and the solar powered charging mechanism "These tools are not to be used to assert the authority of Velrovian leaders, and should be used for the benefit of all Velrovians."

Justa : " Before you leave, there is an issue that must be resolved."

Naole : " What is it?"

Justa : " In our custom; if you save a life, then you are responsible for that life! Therefore the ones you saved in the forest are your responsibility. They are in your service; If you are leaving, then they must leave with you."

Capt-Atola : " That's not possible! We have dangerous work to do that they are not prepared for"

Justa : " The ones you saved in the forest have named you their Ultora!"

Naole : " Ultora?"

Justa : " Velrovian for High Protector!"

Naole : " What if I release them from my service?"

Justa : " Only fate can release them from your service. If they die in your service then their children remain in your service, and this will continue until you die."

Capt-Atola : " But Naole does not age?"

Carlet : " Our law says that they would not exist without your intervention. This binds them to you, and such a bond cannot be broken."

Justa : " However you can decree that the next generation serve your interests here on Crasla, but this generation must go where you go!"

Naole : " Then so be it! I will take these 18 adults and 15 youths with me, and I will teach them the ways of Crystalorb. In time the next generation will return to Crasla and the Crystalorb Knowledge they gain will help to build a just and prosperous Velrovian society."

A few hours later Naole and the CCS Cada A2286C left Crasla, taking with them Naole's new servants.

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