#scrollkeeper

SkekTember, prompt 6: "Midday Power Nap"

(✨️Short story below!✨️)

The Great Library breathed with dust and silence.

Ancient shelves creaked beneath centuries of scrolls—barkskin, landstrider vellum, Nebrie-hide—scattered like relics from forgotten dreams. The air was dense with the scent of ink and age.

At a wide desk, skekOk hunched low, his quill whispering across a yellowish, stretched scroll made from nebrie hide.

“…that the Gelfling emissary did petition—”

A blot. Small, but glaring. He clicked his tongue and dabbed it away. It would do.

Looking up from his work, he spied the opposite side of the chamber.

Across the library, skekLa fussed over a drawing, dappled by the stained-glass light of a tiny triangular window. She was bent over her inks and brushes, the silver claw on her right index shimmering with every stroke of ink. She muttered to herself.

SkekOk winced.

“She’ll screech,” he sighed as silently considered, “but I don't care how busy she might be; I must make her draw the marginalia for this new scroll as soon as I finish…”

He carefully poked at the letters on his scroll with the parched pad of one finger-checking if the ink was already dry. Drawing back a velvet drape, he squinted into the golden light of Second Sun. Dust danced like drifting silvertree seeds. Soon, the Castle would prepare for a new Supper.

He glanced again at skekLa. Still absorbed.

Quietly, he turned back. Adjusted his spectacles. Rested his head on his arm.

“Just a moment…” he murmured, lowering his head into the crook of his arm. “Just… to rest the eyes…”

His body sagged like a draped robe. A low snore fluttered from his throat.

SkekLa looked up, huffing through her nostrils in disapproval.

Of course — the Scrollkeeper had nodded off at his post.

Again.

With a sigh, she gave a dismissive nod and returned to her drawing.

*DISCLAIMER*

This art challenge is not official or sponsored by the JHC. SkekTember is a small, fun thing created by a fan, for fans.

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I do not consent to ANY platform to use my artwork, posts, writing or reels to train generative AI tools.

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Artwork may be reblogged, but not used or redistributed elsewhere without written consent.

Artwork © @skekla

All publically recognizeable canon The Dark Crystal characters, designs, settings and situations TM & © Jim Henson / Brian Froud/Universal studios/ The Jim Henson Company

SkekOk the Scrollkeeper as a skywing dragon from the book series Wings of Fire written by Tui T. Sutherland (I highly recommend reading the series if you want a good book where all the main characters are dragons and there are almost no humans) 

I did this drawing for a contest on deviantart where we had to pick any fictional character from any media (books/movies/shows/etc) and draw them as dragons of any tribe from the wings of fire book series so of course I choose a skeksis. I also did sketch drawings of The Ritual master, Hunter and scientist as dragons but I haven't done them digitally yet  (but it will happen one day :3 ) 

I would have absolutely loved it if skekOk had developed an attachment to Brea, even for a short amount of time.

In the first episode, there seemed to be a genuine connection between the two. Seeing them talk about books while in the carriage was a bit heartwarming, and I kinda wanted to go “Aw!” when Brea hugged him.

In the books, we see how skekSa has genuine affection for the Sifa Gelfling, and the series shows us through skekGra that it is possible for Skeksis to be good. I feel that skekOk could have been a tragic look at a Skeksis who almost turns good. (We know he won’t, since he’s evil in the movie.)

I can see him trying to claim Brea when the Hunter brings her, telling the Emperor that he wants a new “pet” to help him in the library. He would rationalize the draining of the Gelfling to her, and assure her that she will be safe as long as she behaves. Brea tries to get through to him, her experiences with skekGra giving her hope that other Skeksis can be turned good, and skekOk protests, but finds himself thinking about Brea’s words more than he should.

Extinguished Scrollkeeper {Cloth - Mage/Priest/Warlock}

The smoke still rose in delicate wisps around her face as she fought; the fervor of battle extinguished the flames of her candles, but not of her conviction. She would defend the sacred knowledge with her life.

Every year I host a little Skeksis-inspired event called SkekTember! This was my submisson for day 1's propt, "The colleague", back in 2023. I thought it might be fun to share it here as a way to introduce my Fan-Character to those of you who might not know her! (Please, let me know if you would want to see the rest of this series of 10 drawings that contain random details about The Illustrator's life and her place in the court!)

SkekTember, day 1: The Colleague

SkekLa's main work consists in illustrating and embellishing the scrolls and books skekOk writes. The thing is, she hates to see her work mistreated in any manner, and the Scroll-Keeper has a tendency to poke at the ink while it's still fresh...

Remember I'm ✨️open for commissions!✨️ Please DM me if you're interested.

✨️If you like my artwork, please comment and share to help my art be found by more people✨️

I don't consent to the use of this artwork to train geerative AI models.

* * *

*DISCLAIMER*

Artwork may not be used or redistributed elsewhere without written consent.

Artwork © SkekLa

All publically recognizeable canon The Dark Crystal characters, designs, settings and situations TM & © Jim Henson / Brian Froud/Universal studios/ The Jim Henson Company