Queen Of The Ventils

XXIV

At first, I was floating through a void of endless black. It wasn't shadow, and it wasn't light. It was...empty. A spaceless void. It was so relaxing, so peaceful and quiet, I wanted to drift off into an eternal sleep. Then, a sudden force on my legs pulled me down, down, down and into Krel's illusion.

It was a strange world unlike anything I had ever seen before. Neon lights in the shape of strange characters blared in my face, and glowing people with blue and black skin could be seen walking around. Almost everything was made of smooth, cloudy metal, not unlike the color of the mechanics under the artificial human's skin. Then, at the sound of a sob, I turned to see Krel, on his knees, at the mercy of a tall woman.

She was tall and lithe, and instead of two arms like the rest of the citizens in this strange land, she had four, and all were pointing and gesturing at Krel with every insult and harsh comment that fell from her neon blue lips. Her hair was some sort of strange, teal color, and fell in locks like sharp flower petals that reached her upper back. Her sclera was black as the darkest night, and her electric blue eyes glowed against them. But, when she took a menacing step forward, I snapped out of my awe and charged her.

Howling, I sprinted towards her at top speed, determined to turn her blue skin into the crimson color of death. But, one moment I was charging at her, and the next I had barely moved in time to avoid running into another citizen. "What?" I murmured, walking back to her. Slowly passing a hand over her hair, it passed through her skin like it was mist. I stuck my arm in her stomach up to my elbow, feeling for something solid. There was nothing.

Weird, I thought, waving a hand in her face. No response. Not even a blink.
Lunalis, would you mind getting your head back in the game so we can save this human?! Eclipse snarled, snapping me out of my curiosity. Need I remind you that we have limited time here? You must break through to him. Now.

Okay, I get the message. I sat in front of Krel, slowly crawling forward on my hands and knees and took his hand in mine. Unlike the blue creature, his body was solid and warm, and merely touching his skin nearly set mine ablaze with a strange tingling sensation. Slowly, I brushed a thumb over his knuckles and whispered, "Krel. It's me. Lunalis."

"Lunalis?" he croaked, looking up with red, puffy eyes. His eyes widened for a second before grabbing me and squeezing me in a tight hug, holding me against him. I was shocked for a split second, before he started sobbing again.

"Lunalis," he whispered my name over and over, burying his face in my shoulder. "How...how did you get here?"
"I'm a magical creature, dummy," I smirked, chasing away one of his tears with a finger. "You should've seen this coming."

He smiled briefly, before sighing and pushing me away. "Lunalis...why are we even friends?" he murmured. "I left my home, my family. My sister, to stay in Arcadia. I'm a coward, and my sister surely hates me for it. Why do you pity me, even when you see what I've done?"

"Krel," I sighed, scooting over so we were sitting side by side. "I think we're both more alike than you think. We both left our homes because, well, we were selfish. I wanted to see humans, and I didn't even think about my family when I got captured. I only wanted what I thought would satisfy myself."

A thoughtful look crossed his face, and he frowned. "And, when I really think about it, you didn't really leave your family," I continued, a small sob building in my throat. "You simply got accepted into a new one. You might have ties with your old home, with your past, but...it's over. The best thing you can do is, is to move on, and erm, I guess enjoy what you have now."

"That is profound wisdom, Lunalis," he said after a while. "Thank you for the advice." I smirked before elbowing him gently. "We're friends, Krel, whether you like it or not. I think giving advice is part of the job."
Time to go, Eclipse warned. I stood, and offered him my hand. He accepted it, and I pulled him up.

"C'mon," I smiled, tracing a circle with my hand. Wherever my fingertips passed, a white line followed, until a white circle as tall as we were appeared. "It's time to go home." We both walked through the portal, hand in hand, and appeared back in the real world.

**********

Gasping in alarm, I awoke, fingertips still digging into Krel's hair. Everything felt weak and heavy, like wet sheets of paper hanging from a clothespin. Panting, I slumped onto Krel's chest, which was heaving and taking in gulps of air. "Welcome back to the real world," I chuckled in exhaustion. "Glad to be back," he mumbled, before smacking the side of his head and popping the pixie loose.

Quick as a whip, I lunged forward and crushed it in my fist. The sudden surge of movement drained me further, and I sank back down, pressing my nose close to his. We stayed there for a while, slowly breathing and waiting for our strength to return.

"Krel," I murmured after a few minutes had passed.
"What is it, Lunalis?" he whispered in return.
"It's....I..about Eclipse. I-"
"I know, I know. Don't worry. We will find a spell to get them out. I promise," he murmured, brushing a stray hair from my face.

"That's just it, though. We can't."
"What?"
"We can't. Eclipse told me so herself. There is no spell, no potion, no enchantment that can undo what has been done. To make her leave, to make all of them leave, I have to use her. I have to become one with Eclipse."