Lunar Heart, Shadow Bound ✓ [when the moon lies]

Ch.16.2: The Politics of Things

Edited: May, 15, 2020

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The moment all three of them stepped foot and paw into the portal, a red light flashed all around them and a high-pitched ringing sounded three times. Pinti bristled and Deel almost fell over.

"Edglings! Hurry, run!" Galag urged them on.

But I don't smell them. She sniffed the air and there was only Deel's sour fear, Galag's bitter anxiety, and the musty scent that hovered in the portal. But that didn't mean they weren't near or could pop out at any moment. Keeping her senses alert, Pinti ran after Deel with Galag behind them.

The walkway inside the portal was like a conveyor belt that moved forward on one side and backwards on the other. It wasn't long before they reached the Second Ring's portal. Pinti realized just then that she would have to pass by the Third Ring's portal door. She had not been back since the attack and never thought she would ever return.

Feeling strangely nervous, her pace slowed. There was a familiar forest scent wafting from underneath the portal door. The Third Ring's door was barred with metal chains crisscrossing every which way. No one could go in and anyone inside could not leave.

"The High Collection put those chains there to prevent any citizen from getting hurt," Galag said. "It's been like that since the incident. We should keep moving." He trudged on ahead. "The Forest Crup's entrance is near the one to the Fourth Ring."

Pinti stood for a moment, trying to find comfort in being back but all it did was remind her of the pain. Unable to be there any longer, she turned away from her home Ring when the stench of Edglings tickled her nose like a tease.

"There you are." Her Saboteur materialized in front of her. "I've come to throw you into your grave."

She bared her fangs at him and unsheathed her claws. "What you did to my family, and my clan." Anger overflowed. "I'll shred you to pieces!" She snarled and pounced on him, but he caught her in his tentacles and pinned her to the portal floor. She struggled under his grasp and couldn't move. Dread settled in her chest. He was too strong.

With a guttural growl his head morphed into a beast that was just a mouth full of teeth and a lolling tongue. Instinctual fright kicked in. A mewl escaped her lips. Death was only seconds away.

He opened his mouth. A streak of orange light hit his face. "Agh!" He growled and whipped his head around in search of the attacker. His hold loosened. It was her chance. Relief welled over her as she rolled away in haste. More light hit his body as Galag shot them out of his hands, driving her Saboteur back.

"This way!" Galag grabbed her up and they ran past the Third Ring's portal door and onto the Fourth.

"Feigat!" Her Saboteur screeched after them.

Veering off towards the side of the Fourth Ring's portal was another conveyor belt, but this one didn't move. At the end of the belt was a wooden door all scratched up like a cat's scratching post. On the other side was Deel standing in front a tunnel made of green vines. Beyond the tunnel was another door.

"You made it," he exclaimed when they approached. "Quick, this the way, right?" He didn't even wait for Galag to reply and skipped down the tunnel.

"Are you okay?" Galag let go of her paw. Pinti blinked, stunned and she wiped her eyes slightly moistened with tears. She recounted for a moment what happened. Galag had saved her from near death. Lifting her head, she saw him furrowing his eyebrows and cocking his head.

"I'm okay," she said in a quiet voice. A Sorcerer had saved her not once, but twice now. Had she given up on other races too early? Was there still good in the world?

"Galag! Pinti! Galaaag!" Deel's voice careened down through the tunnel.

"We're coming!" Galag replied and turned back to her. "Don't worry, Pinti. I've got your back." He smiled and gave a few pats on her head. "Come on, let's go before your Saboteur catches up."

Pinti nodded and followed after him.

He's actually nice. Her chest warmed at the thought. Unlike so many others, Galag Gorn. A smile pulled at her lips.

When they came to the end of the tunnel, she could smell forest as the green scents slipped out from under the door. Up close, it was an oddly shaped wooden door that was square on the bottom with the top left corner warped into a strange point as though trying to become a triangle. The rest of it pretended to be an arch. There were vines all around in a swarm of green, yellow, and orange. The vines in the center of the door formed letters that spelled out, 'Forest Crup'.

Deel reached for the handle, but it opened on its own accord. Below was a canopy of fluffy, cloud like leaves. There were no stairs to get down. The only way in was to jump.

"Automatic door, did you see?" Deel grinned over his shoulder. Pinti scowled at him.

"How do we get down?" she asked Galag.

"Just jump. Those trees are soft enough." Galag said. "Just jump d—" Something pushed him, and he crashed into Pinti who bumped into Deel.

"Gala—!" Deel's voice faded as he fell through the door. Just as she regained her balance, she smelled her Saboteur and blood.

Her eyes found Galag's face contorted in pain. A thorny tentacle stuck out from his chest. Before she could react, he pushed Pinti into the Forest Crup.

She yowled as she slowly fell to the ground, reaching up towards him as her Saboteur bit down hard on his neck. Galag's voice echoed in her head.

"Take care. Find, Thereanbold." A faint smile etched across his face and froze. He was dragged backwards and the sound of a beast feasting on bone and flesh hung in her ears for a long time after that.

"Galag," she called, her voice barely a whisper. She hugged the scepter book to her chest. Edglings took everything away. The warmth in her chest grew cold again. Shadows swallowed her heart and all the light was gone. Why did she even think there was still hope left in this world? As long as there were Edglings, there was no light or hope.

The howl of her Saboteur faded as the door to the Forest Crup slammed shut. Pinti twisted her body around to land safely, but below was not a canopy of trees. She landed on all fours in a field made of light blue grass, the color of her fur. Below her paws was a glowing sunflower the size of her head.

A fresh breeze carrying scents of forest and water wafted around. Sunlight blinded her from below and she stepped off of what she thought was a sunflower. But it wasn't. It was a sun.

Patches of white fluffy grass floated over and covered the sun temporarily bringing darkness to her surroundings. A wind passed through the grass making it chatter and the white fluffy grass was pushed away. The sun returned.

There was the chirrup-chip-chip of birds. She found them amongst a pond of lily pads above. The water from the pond didn't drip, but the black birds swam amongst the lilies like fish.

The whole scene gave her a headache as her mind tried to understand what was going on. She found Deel standing near a normal tree under normal sky. Beyond him stretched more normal world. He was looking at something and she followed his gaze. There was a curtain of moss strung between two trees standing across from each other. It looked like someone had made it.

"We go that way, I'm sure." Deel began to walk confidently to the moss curtain. What was he thinking? Pinti tried to make a grab for him when he dodged her. Did he think this was the time to be playful? And she didn't have time to dwell on Galag's death. She still had an idiot on her paws who seemed to be over both Lalina and Galag's deaths very quickly or maybe he just didn't understand. With a frustrated twitch of her whiskers, she stomped after him.