This Is My Exodus

Chapter 3

A/N: Don't forget to vote and comment! There's a detailed painting this chapter that I worked 9 hours on!

------

As she fell, she refused to open her eyes. The gust of wind tried to pry them open. The shock paralyzed her. The suddenness of it caused a spike of fear to impale her gut. Open air surrounded her until a pair of furry arms caught her from under her arms. Despite being half her height, Xalei carried her with ease. Due to the odd angle, his cheek pressed against hers.

"Was that so hard?" he teased.

"Don't act so smug," she snapped. "And move your head! Your breath stinks!"

That was a blatant lie. She couldn't smell his breath.

"You're welcome," he snickered despite him not being thanked. "I can't move my head while I'm holding you this way."

"Who carries someone like this?!" she sneered. "I should be carried like a lady! The nerve you have!"

"Yes, yes. I'll get it right next time. Where to? Do you want to go back on the ground or to the next rope?" His floating started to decline.

"I want you to put me down this instant!" she demanded without a second thought.

"Now? Well, there's no ground beneath you at the moment."

"You–" She cut herself off before she said something vulgar.

It didn't take long for them to land on a solid platform. When he placed her down, Kaykecella murmured something.

"How could you? How could you? How could you?"

She kept repeating that over and over.

Chalala stared at her in repulsed shock.

The cracks of Kaykecella started to break open, revealing the unfolding traces of her true nature.

"Y-You..." She began to heave deeply, stomping onto the ground with her invisible foot. "Why did you agree with him?"

Without letting Chalala respond, Kaykecella screeched while having a tantrum, "You were supposed to be my slave! This is not fair!"

"Your...what?!" Chalala's eyes widened, looking insulted.

Xalei ignored Kaykecella's existence. "Worry about that brat later. You see that over there?"

Chalala looked in that direction. Her eyes landed on one of the bells as she snorted. "What am I supposed to see? A bunch of bells?"

"Not the bell. That."

Amidst the threaded bells, a magenta orb-like object hung suspended in the air.

"Okay?" Her lip pulled back in scorn. "What about it?"

"That's a globule," he answered, while Kaykecella continuously had her fit. "It's very important that you get it because–"

"Hmph! And go back out there?! Get it yourself." Her arms raised in frustration. "You obviously want it badly enough. I'm done with this place!"

"I can't do that." When Chalala turned her heel, Xalei blocked her way. "It's beneficial to you if you listen. Look, you're human. Humans are the only ones who can touch globules by having a partner."

"And I don't care about the globule, so I don't need a partner!" she argued. "So humph!" She turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "I'm leaving!"

"You can't." As he said that, the ground rumbled. Chalala felt as the foundation crumbled up from beneath her and began to fall away.

She exclaimed and tried to reach out for anything to keep her from falling into the abyss. Somehow, as the ground collapsed, the bells got closer. She managed to wrap her fingers around one of the threads. Her body jerked as she caught herself.