On the verge of illusions and non-existence

It was the morning of the last (twenty-fourth) day of the trek. I was terribly reluctant to leave the sea. But before I left, I took several photos of the sages. This time, with two rounded stones I'd found the day before. Black stone and white stone, two stones.

"We've finally reached the shores of the Silver Sea..."

"Will you finally get off me?"

"And on this journey, we were united like never before..."

"Get off, I said! Right now!

So, I look into the distance and see our next destination..."

"And I look into the water. Wow, so many interesting things..."

Yesterday morning in the Ai-Petri mountains.

It was scary to put them almost on the edge. The cliff in the Grand Canyon was small – about two meters high. I accidentally dropped the sages from there, but they were unharmed and easy to retrieve. And this cliff... it's very high. About 600 meters, I think.

As I already wrote, the morning turned out to be magical. Here's a spontaneous short photo shoot with the sages in yellow flowers. And with me as Kylan in the background. What is this—are we really preparing a puppet show?)

There was a thunderstorm last night, but it was light. And in the morning, fog descended on the mountains. It was magical because the fog didn't immediately cover the mountains.

Just a photo of two sages against the backdrop of a fire (it was so scary to place them next to the fire) and the Kachin Valley.

"How did you get ahead of me? How did you get above me?"

"Amazing, isn't it? I was moving forward, without a moment's hesitation..."

"I should be the one going ahead! Who knows what danger there might be?"

"We'll live here for a while. We'll build a house here!"

"Right here?"

"No, right there! At the very top!"

"Now skekGra's head will clear..."

"You caught me off guard!"

"You won't catch me off guard again! I can do that too!"

Drawing the stimulant into a syringe, the Scientist administered the injection—and, after a moment, patted a Gelfling on the cheek.

"Wake up!"

"What the…" the Sifa yawned and opened her eyes.Then she widened them, seeing who stood before her. "No!.."

She twitched, trying to free herself.

"It’s a waste of my time and your force, intruder. Calm down and answer the lord's questions," skekTek glared at her, and Yona froze, staring into the bright yellow eyes of the bird of prey."Who are you and why did you come here?"

"I saw the captain... what did you do to him?" A despairing sigh. "The same Kildeiya wouldn't have done this to me..."

"So you're part of his crew?"SkekTek chuckled knowingly."When they were executed, one Gelfling was missing – it's you?"

"I begged them to come to their senses and not go! And you... you killed them!..."

"The Emperor doesn't like rebels, Gelfling. No one likes rebels."

"How did they die?..."

"They were throwed down a fiery shaft," the Skeksis grinned.

"Alive?!.."

"How do you think?"

"I think you really are monsters... But why is Kildeiya still alive?"

"Gelfling, which of us is asking the questions?"the Scientist fluffed his collar angrily."The Emperor gave me the rebel leader. Since then, I've been treating him for his insolence and unnecessary thoughts."

"You have been treating him?" Yona raised her voice."Kildeiya looks like he's about to die!"

"Don't be so dramatic," skekTek grinned."According to my predictions, the rebel will fade away in another two or three trines."

"No, it won't fade... I'll free him! I'll help him escape your claws..." She twitched again in the clamps of the medical chair.

"You try to break free first," she chuckled."What's your name, intruder?"

"I am Yona. Yona of the Sifa clan," she froze, catching her breath.

"Four trines have passed since that ill-fated mutiny. You weren't exactly in a hurry to save your captain."

"I thought he was dead. That all my friends were dead!"She raised her head sharply and screamed, catching her neck on the iron clamp."But not long ago, I had a vision..."

"Really? Why didn't your vision show you your fate and end?"

"I knew I'd probably die," the girl said quietly but decisively."But I love Kildeiya, and if my life is the price for his awakening..."

"That won't happen," skekTek chuckled."The rebel Kildeiya has lost his memory, his name, his past. Almost nothing remains of him."

"What are you doing to him?" Yona stared at a Skeksis in horror, a slight tremor running through her.

"The powder of nulroot, Gelfling. You're familiar with that potion, right?"

"And... for how long?"she gasped.

"Since the very beginning. Since the day that foolish rebellion was crushed."

Yona was silent for a few moments, gathering her thoughts.And then she began to scream.

"Quiet, Gelfling," the Scientist fluffed his collar in displeasure, clasping his hand around her throat—and her scream turned to a half-strangled wheeze."You're sick, and just like him, you need treatment. It's okay, the genius will take care of it!"

"Don't... no... no!..." Yona breathed out.

"Don't worry—I'm not going to treat you with nulroot. Not yet, anyway."SkekTek walked over to the table, mixed a sleeping potion, and then poured it into the mouth of the reluctant Sifa."Now you'll fall asleep again, and I'll ask the Emperor for permission to use another test subject."

Read more on: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80374316/chapters/211046341

When your partner is so slow, it's faster to carry them on your back, like a big backpack.

A mountain path and a brief snowstorm on May 2nd add to the epicness.

Today is May 1st. The Crimean Mountains are in the south, but unexpectedly, on the night of May 1st, it snowed! Bundled up in all the warm clothes I had, I walked along Mount Demerdzhi. And then I took a photo of both sages and Raunip, somewhere in a tree.

Hugs on the Northern Demerdzhi Plateau.