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I'm sorry it took so long for the next chapter... Soo, i hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 16

Cath looked at the sky while riding.
“Look, that sky looks like a Scrab,” she said to me, pointing at a cloud.

I looked at it, and tried to see how the heck it could look like a Scrab. It didn’t even look like anything. Then I sighed lowly.

“Umm… I think it looks more like a Paramite,” I said with a funny expression on my face.

Andriel had heard our conversation and rode closer to us.

“What sky?” he asked.

We pointed at it.

“That one? A Scrab? Haha! How can you make a Scrab out of it? I think it looks more like a Mudokon,” he said amused.

We all started laughing. Then we all of a sudden became silent, and minded our own business. I looked around at the beautiful environment. Then green, high trees, and the beautiful sight all over the place. There where high rocks sticking up from the earth, and each of them had ancient symbols on them. I didn’t know if it were the Mudokons that had made them. The flowers were also very beautiful. I wished that the Glukkons would never find the landscape.

We started riding up against a high valley.

“Where are we?” I asked, Andriel.

“It’s called The Great Valleys of Indariel. It is said that a God named Indariel created this place. I do not know the purpose. But there doesn’t have to be a purpose, does there?” Andriel answered.

“No of course not. They can have fun too, I guess.”

A Paramite ran quickly past us. It was chasing a Rat. The birds on the tress were singing loudly. Then I looked all around me, this place was filled with life. Finally I saw some parts of Oddworld that were not yet civilized or industrialized.

Cath didn’t say anything, so I got closer to her.

“DO you enjoy the sight?” I asked.

She sighed: “Yeah… But I kinda think about how many years I spend on that stupid lab. I think about how many years got stolen away from me? Why was I born? I can’t even lay eggs, they told me so. So what purpose do I have in this world?”

I stood there thinking hard on what she said.

“Well… Maybe you don’t need to be here for a purpose. Like Andriel told me. These valleys weren’t really created for a purpose. They just are. Like me, do I have purpose in this world?” I said.

“Well, yeah. I mean a god itself called you to her,” she said depressed.

“Well… Still. Maybe your purpose is just to be… To fill a gap perhaps.”

She looked down, it seemed like she didn’t really have anything else to say, and our conversation had ended. Just like that. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said. What purpose did we have in life? We were just 2 useless Mudokons out of millions and millions of creatures. I looked behind, then forward. Then landscape was changing. Then Andriel rode closer to me.

“We will stop here, to eat. Me and the others are getting hungry,” he said.

“That sounds like a good idea, I said.”

So we settled down. The Elums ate the fresh and juicy grass, while we sat down and ate the food we had taken with us. We had only taken food and water for two meals, because there would be a Mudokon village on our road, where we could get more supply. Then the plan was to ride for two more days in the wild, and there would be another village. I would hear the rest of the plans after some time. We had finished our meals, were ready to ride again. I looked behind me, I felt like everything in the forest was watching us. We were intruders after all. I was a bit afraid that we’d meet a hungry Scrab. But Andriel and the others had their bows. We mounted our Elums, and were on the road again. A Paramite dared to near us, but then ran away quickly.

“This place doesn’t get visited a lot, does it?” I asked.

“Not really, some Mudokons comes here now and then to study the nature. But that happens rarely.” Hirnissa answered.

“This is really beautiful. I hope it’ll never get ruined by the Glukkons.” Cath said.

“We share the same thoughts.” I said.

She smiled a bit. I was happy to finally make her smile. Then I minded my own. I wanted some time for my self.

The land was slowly changing from Light green forest, with the High rocks, to a redder environment. It was like the rocks, the grass and the remaining trees had a red nuance in them. There wasn’t so much grass around anymore. Rocks began to appear, and before me, I saw the strangest thing ever: A very high rock-structure. Big rocks were stabled on each other. They worked like bridges you could walk on.

“Now we must just find the way up.” Hirnissa said.

He rarely said anything, but when it was needed, he could give you some very important info. We rode a little to the left, and then to the right, as Cath suddenly screamed “There!” We all got a shock.

“Ssss!! Be quite!” Andriel said, “You scared the soul out of me!”

“Oh sorry…” she said quietly.

I laughed to myself. We rode up against the big valley of stone, which wasn’t very wide in the breadth. It disturbed me a little.

“Don’t worry, you can trust your Elum. They are good at keeping balance.” Andriel assured me.

“What if I fall off?” I asked nervously.

“That won’t happen…” Andriel said, and smiled.

Cath seemed to do alright. It was like I was the only one scared here. We got higher and higher, and soon we were at the top. The bridge was getting a little thicker, but still not enough to make me more confident. But my Elum Glow kept walking as if we were down on the ground. I looked down, and began to feel a little dizzy… Maybe a little too dizzy. I felt like I was going to fall off soon. But somehow Glow felt my insecurity, and looked back on me. He started walking a little more carefully, which I appreciated. I patted Glow on the back. As we kept walking Cath kept looking back at me, but every time I looked at her, she hastily looked the other way. It wouldn’t help much if she also started whistling, pretending that nothing happened. I felt a funny feeling, a warmth inside me, which only she could awake. I couldn’t stop my mouth widening to a smile. I started feeling more secure on the high rock-bridge. Now I could finally relax. Then I looked down, and got a little shock. The rocks weren’t on ground anymore. They were on water. This was crazy. How could someone build anything on water?

“I’m scared…” I mumbled.

“What?” Andriel asked.

“Oh uhm, nothing. It’s just… How the heck could someone build this rock-bridge on water???” I then asked frustrated.

“Relax… Relax… But I really don’t know myself. This bridge as you call it is named Gasrf Ash. It was built centuries ago. The sad thing is that we have lost the knowledge that once let us build massive structures. If you look around on this ‘bridge’, you may notice the interesting art-pieces.”

I looked around. I didn’t really notice the art until now. It was truly beautiful. Then I noticed land before us.

“Soon we are there. The Village lives near the sea-shore. That way, they are closer to the fishes. If you look forward, you can see the village as a little spot.” Andriel said.

I was relieved that I didn’t have to ride on this rock-bridge anymore, and that I would soon be on the lovely ground again. I sighed. After some minutes, we were our way down the bridge, and then on the ground. I quickly jumped of my Elum, and jumped in happiness.

“I SURVIVED!!!” I screamed.

“Umm… Yeah… take it easy, it wasn’t that hard.” Andriel said.

Soon, some Mudokons with a bow neared us. Their loincloths were different from ours. They were green and yellow. They had body-art all over them, and they had more feathers on their heads, which where orange, red and purple. I looked at those Mudokons whose ranks were way higher than mine. I couldn’t stop feeling small. When they reached us, one of them asked:

“Who are you? What do you want?”

But then he saw Cath, and quickly said:

“Oh, I see. You’re the ones that were supposed to arrive. Sorry for our reaction. But you never know if your friend or enemy. Pleased to meet you all. We are very honoured to have a Female Mudokon visiting. Welcome, please stay here a bit.”

“We have to hurry, but thank you anyway.” Nescar said.

“Ok, follow us then. We’ll re-fill your supply.”