Disguised In Stardust ✔

Chapter Twenty-Two

I followed the trail of uneven ground. It dropped off at some points and sometimes had a slow incline to the slippery rock. My shoes weren't used to the surface, so I would be lying if I said I hadn't tumbled along the way.

The first few times I slipped, I landed right on my lacerated hand. It was still healing, and it didn't help that I had a habit of bending my wrist too far for what was comfortable. I bit back a cry and continued to follow the distinct trails of Chapna.

Eventually, the trail faded out to nothing. Instead, a mass of different colors replaced it, like emerald green or cobalt blue. Some were pale yellow, like sunflower petals.

By the time I emerged into a more breathable space, I was drenched in sweat and stream water. My face was flecked with dirt. The dirt was cold, oozing the familiar scent of berries. I found myself too weary to clean it up.

I was all too focused on finding my mate and I could feel our connection strengthen with every step I took. The larger space I found myself in had a warping shield that protected a monstrous, towering chunk of Chapna that connected to every wall, glowing white flecks chipping from the massive crystal vein.

I was too enchanted to notice Faelin wriggling and crying out above me, whose wings were tied together with wrists and ankles bound by small tubes. Tiny chunks of Chapna flowed with a current of water through the tubes. He was suspended high in the air with flowers running down his flushed cheeks.

A large, pink lace crystal jutted out from where the other side of his head should have been. His left arm was half-way replaced by the mineral, and his neck was covered in little bits that budded from his skin. It shimmered and pulsed, flaking off with the same white particles as the crystal in the middle. His voice broke on a sob and a petal from his reddened eyes fluttered down in front of me.

“You wretched creature! Wh-What have you done to me..?!” he struggled in the binds but it was no use. He was rooted in place by those thick tubes. “My poison doesn’t work—! What kind of material is this..?” he muttered to himself. A dark green liquid dribbled down his wrist and tried eagerly to corrode the tubes, but they just pulled back together with the help of thin white tendrils.

“Poison resistance. Perfect for a specimen like you.” A voice echoed from my left. There Seth was, with a filled bowl of Faelin’s lighter Chapna. “Don’t you see? Your presence powers this place. It reveals the real you-” Seth’s amused gaze fell to me and he stopped his little speech.

“Dain?” He honestly looked surprised to see me.

“Give him back, Seth. You’re not like this, I know you’re not.” I spoke outwards to make my voice echo in the chasm. Faelin flinched at the booming sound of it.

“This thing is called an Aalka, Dain. It is dangerous and powerful. Its blood forms crystals to keep it alive. The Chapna releases energy and it seeps into the air through its pores.” Seth explained to me.

“Aalkas are a rare species that generate their own nutrients, much like autotrophs. Their Chapnization process is complicated, yet their bodies produce 8-10 ounces of crystal every second. This is a vicious, yet amazing cycle.” He stood from his place on a rock and dusted himself off.

“You know how important this is to me. I need all the Chapna I can get in order for this to work. Faelin here, is worth trillions.”

I looked up to my mate, who was still strung up like a doll. He let out a shaky sigh as another petal fluttered from his weeping vine. He sniffled, turned his face away and allowed me to see the entire portion of mineral that sprouted from him. That crystalline mutation looked excruciating.

I narrowed my eyes on him, straightening my gaze into a glare. I felt a throbbing ache in my chest hearing Faelin sigh defeatedly above us. I looked down to find a pickaxe partially stuck in an ore vein that didn't seem to be mined out completely... I mused a bit, then I cried out.

“Let him go, Seth!” I darted for him but he dodged me easily, swiping to the left with his foot. “He’s not a toy for you to mess with!” I skidded on the damp floor and scrambled to get back up, but my injured hand refused to spare mercy.

"You don't understand, Dain!" Seth climbed onto a lift that was hanging inactive across the room, on the other side of the main energy source. I clambered to my feet and yanked the rope away before he could get a hold of it. "This opens up hundreds of opportunities for study... Don't you want to know--"

"I want to know why you're so obsessed with my mate!" A voice that I'd never heard before erupted from my throat. It was definitely my voice, but it was low, venomous. Grating against my tongue like sandpaper. My breath quickened and rage quickly conquered me.

I snatched his arm and tackled him to the floor. We tumbled and rolled, while I could feel the rock and his nails biting into me. Once we came to a stop, I used all my might to flip him over and shove him against the floor.

As I towered over Seth wildly, I kept his hands behind his back and pinned him down with my other hand curled into an angry fist. The side of his face was smushed against a damp mass of dirt and stone.

A look of fear passed over those ocean eyes. "Dain? I-I'm your friend.. You can't-"

"You were never my fucking friend." I hissed. This nature had never been present in me until now. I was a good person... I wouldn't hurt a fly. Now here I was, prepared to slaughter my former best friend in a fit of fury.

What was I doing?

I reached over for the abandoned pickaxe I spotted earlier. It was lodged into the vein tightly, and I had to yank a few times to get it just a bit loose. As I was tugging, my grip on Seth came loose and he elbowed me straight in the gut.

I doubled over, a singing pain running through my belly, before I used the rest of my strength to dislodge the pickaxe from its place in the old rock.

I dashed to the lift and hurriedly set the pickaxe down, pulling the rope with my already sore hands. I groaned, hanging on tight as I slowly ascended. Seth began to rise just as I reached an upper platform of rock, hopped on, and released the rope.

I reached out and followed the thin tubes, to where two of them were connected to an open vat. Little gleaming shards of familiar mineral slowly filled the container, and I quickly swung the pickaxe against the tubes.

The other two tubes were on the opposite side of the room, where Seth had been sitting when I entered. My arm ached with every swing, but eventually I was able to undo two of the four. Faelin swung over and hung from the side of the two remaining tubes. The mutation on his leg slowly faded, the crystal sucking back into his skin. It seemed like it was never there in the first place.

Faelin weakly reached up with his other hand, now that it was unstuck, and grimaced at the wound the tube left behind. A bright crimson circle opened up on his wrist, revealing little shards mixed with fresh blood.

I turned around to return to the lift, but Seth had already blocked my way.

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