Chapter Text
I still remember that terrible night like it was yesterday, even though it was two months ago. After blowing up the Mudead House, my sanity had shattered like a mirror and I ended up having never ending nightmares because of it.
Eventually, the nightmares stopped after Christmas when I was given a gift from an unknown sender. It was a shiny Sapphire.
Coincidentally, Munch also got a gemstone from someone unknown, only he got a Peridot.
In fact almost everyone got a gemstone. Stranger got a Citrine, Dynamite got a Jade and Lulu got an Amethyst. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but it prevented me from having those nightmares again.
I didn’t need my childhood Mudokon plushie, Mr. Stuffy anymore, but I didn’t want to throw him out either. I instead gave it to my baby brothers so he could fight off the monsters while they slept in their cribs. Whenever I hold the Sapphire, my hand becomes cold. What powers does it have?
I’m sure you guys already know my name, but I’ll say it again. My name is Abe and I’m the Messiah of Mudokons. Despite being the saviour though, I’m still clumsy.
There were times when I nearly broke my precious Sapphire, but thankfully I caught it just before it hit the ground.
“Abe!” my Shrink mum lectured me when I did it again. “You must be careful with that gemstone! One crack and it will lose its power!”
“Power?” I asked. “What powers does it have?”
“It’s not the only gemstone with power,” she replied. “Almost every single one has a meaning. I just can’t remember the meanings. Why don’t you try asking around, just please be careful with the Sapphire this time?”
I asked my buddies at dinner if they knew what powers their gemstones had, but they didn’t know either.
“I wonder who sent us the gemstones,” wondered Munch. “Why didn’t they give us their name?”
“Maybe they didn’t wanna be found out,” Stranger guessed.
He had to stay with us due to Outlaw activity which nearly caused him to break a limb. He wouldn’t be able to come back to the West until it was safe.
I couldn’t focus on eating the rest of Dynamite’s vegetarian pie. I drifted off into thought as I stared blankly at my Sapphire, twiddling it around my fingers. My gemstone would’ve come from a cold place due to it freezing the tips of my fingernails.
“Abe? You alright?” I suddenly heard Munch ask me which got me out of my day dreamy state.
“I-I’m fine” I stuttered, this time not letting the Sapphire fall again.
I didn’t want another lecture. I shook off the feeling and slurped my coconut milk through a straw.
“If only we could find out more about whatever these are suppose to be,” said Lulu.
After I drew in a breath, a Mudokon Shaman teleported near our table. “Guess what, guys!” he told us with excitement. “You know those gemstones we got for Christmas? Well here’s a late letter from the sender”
“Ooh! I hope it’s got moolah!” Lulu said, eagerly.
I get that he’s broke, but is that all he cares about?
“It says that we should read it altogether,” the Shaman continued. “So how about after dinner? I’ll be meditating near the Almighty Raisin so I’ll meet you there”
He then vanished before we could ask more questions.
As I kept eating, my mind wandered off again only about something or someone else. I couldn’t help but hear this high but smooth female voice which sounded as if it belonged to a Vykker. I couldn’t remember her name, but I still knew what she wore: a green nurses outfit. Unlike other Vykkers, this nurse was very easy on me. I only met her once when I had to be rushed into hospital and I wanted to meet her again.
After we finished up, we made our way into the Raisin’s Cave. Almost every Mudokon was there, waiting for us. When they noticed us, they pushed us to the front near the Raisin. The Shaman from earlier teleported to us, giving me the letter.
“Go ahead, Stitchlips” the Almighty Raisin requested me, looking down at us with his four small glowing eyes. “Read it and weep”
“Ok” I replied.
Everyone’s eyes were on the letter I was opening. I brought it out and began to read it out loud.
“Dear natives: I hope you like the different gemstones you got for Christmas. Those stones are good for your soul and mental health because each one has its own power and meaning. Numbskull, a Mudokon witch doctor knows each meaning for every stone so if you’re feeling brave, why don’t you head to the North continent: Spageria where he lives? I’m actually there now because I have to take good care of the poor Spats that live there. They’ve all gotten colds due to how cold the weather’s getting and it won’t be long until it becomes freezing. If you’re not sure how to bring down the temperature, then ask the Raisin. Please help? I don’t think I can carry on. -Xelestia”
Xelestia? Was that the name of the nurse who helped me get better? She actually sounded as if she was in danger too.
“Spageria” said the Raisin as if he was in deep thought. “I can see it clearly. The low climate is freezing my eye, and soon that eye will need an eternal rest”
I shrugged.
“The eternal blizzard is coming and it is the biggest threat that you must stop. Due to Frostbite activity, the temperature gets lower every single Winter”
“Frostbite?” asked Munch.
“Frostbites are an industrial race who care about nothing but their company and wealth” the Raisin continued. “They are known for their own branded products known as Spat Pops”
Stop the music will ya? Spat Pops?
“That sounds gross,” said Munch, disgusted.
“So they’re part of the Magog Cartel too?” I asked. “Cus Spat Pops sound similar to Mudokon Pops”
The Raisin blinked at me.
“They are actually a competing company, Stitchlips. However, Frostbites are like the Glukkons, only worse. Not only do they use Spat meat as the artificial ingredients, they also freeze them”
Yea, the Raisin’s sentences are hard to understand sometimes. This caused me to shrug again.
“Before the Spats are ground up however, they have to suffer a slow and freezing death. They are captured, thrown into ice holes and left to freeze. Frostbites have the power to control the weather in the North so due to being impatient and closed minded, they lower the climate so the Spats can freeze quicker. When the climate is incredibly low, it causes heavy blizzards which endangers the entire North of living in a blanket of eternal snow”
I gasped. All of us did actually.
“Xelestia’s there!” said Dynamite. “Boy am I glad I don’t have to work for them anymore”
“Xelestia use to be my maid when I still had my wealth,” said Lulu. “She’s such a gal, so neat n’ gentle, just like that auctioneer Headley. Oh I wish you could meet him! He’s such a cordial gentleman!”
“You mean there are two kind Vykkers out there?” I asked.
“He is also on his way to the North” the Raisin interrupted.
Lulu’s eyes went wide.
“But if he’s there, then he’ll also freeze! Maybe once those Frostbite bastards have finished with whoever's in the North, they’ll pick us off next!”
“Once we’re in the North,” Stranger added.
Lulu then raised an eyebrow.
“No!” he cried. “That’s not what I mean. They’ll not just go for the Northerns. Eventually when Spats become extinct, they’ll trick the East and the West into coming to the Spat pop factory: Brain Freeze which is located on top of Frostbite Hill by posing as friendly businessmen. For natives, they’ll fly over to wherever they are and capture them but for industrialists they’ll invite them via messaging or phone call. You probably know what they do to them next”
I thought about it, even though I didn’t want to. Those non-Northern creatures could end up like the Spats, even other industrialists.
“I don’t like the sound of those Frostbite guys” I worried. “Lulu? How d’you know all this?”
Lulu himself didn’t hesitate.
“I was one of their victims before I had my wealth. Luckily I was able to escape back to the East, but it traumatised me so hard that I began to have a fear of nature. We can’t let those charming Vykkers freeze to death up there! How do we improve the climate?”
There was silence for about three seconds before the Raisin finally told us the answer.
“There is warmth, but only in the centre. They call it the climate spring which prevents the North from over freezing. However, due to how much power the Frostbites have been abusing, the climate spring has been sealed with ice which is too cold to be thawed out. Do not pout as there is a way of saving the entire North. Do you still have the gemstones?”
We lifted up the gemstones we had in our hands: the Sapphire, the Peridot, the Citrine, the Jade and the- well Lulu being a Glukkon with no hands had hidden the Amethyst in his jaw so he had to smile in order to show his.
“You have found five gemstones so far. You will need two more in order to have a warmer heart which can only be wielded by a Mudokon. Once you reach the Spat village, you must visit another outcast Mudokon named Numbskull. Does that name sound familiar to you?”
I nodded.
Numbskull was a Mudokon witch doctor who crafted gemstones and binded them to places. He had to leave the East when the Age of Alchemy began.
“Once all seven gemstones are together, you Abe will be given the power to melt ice with your even-warmer heart. Although only Abe has to thaw out the climate spring, it isn’t safe for him to travel alone. There are Nats out there, patrolling every area of Spageria. Don’t let them capture you or you will end up like the Spats. With the five of you, you’ll be able to survive the Nats and help Abe get the last two gemstones so he can have the power to melt ice with his heart”
“Where are we gonna find the last two gemstones?” Dynamite asked. “Find Numbskull and then-”
Yea, you know what happens next. The Raisin falls asleep before he can finish his sentence. Man, I hate it when he does that.