Instantly, too weak to stop it, I felt Eclipse's consciousness flood my mind. Instantly, my vision brightened, tinged with an all-too-familiar midnight-blue hue. Just as the Ventil lunged for my neck, fangs out, I merely lowered my gaze at her and she froze, body posed with the intent to strike, poised only a mere centimeter or two from my neck. I said, that. Is. ENOUGH, I growled, sending this lower life form flying into the back wall with the flick of my hand.

No, a part of me countered as I rose to my feet. Not lower. She is an equal. A friend. Family. Ah, yes. This was one of Lunalis' little friends; Pythia, was it? The stoic one, always cool and calculating. Although now, she seemed rather startled, yellow eyes displaying the fear her body would not as she made eye contact with me.

Raven—I remembered her exceptionally well—looked as if she were going to pass out at any given moment, staring into my eyes. Ah, yes; I had forgotten they did that whenever I was using my physical form. When had I begun to refer to Lunalis' body as my own? I wondered, pondering when it had become less of a possessive sense, and more of a sense of self. But, I could not ponder this question for too long; there were currently seven very confused and startled Ventils in the cage.

You disgust me, I spat at the other Ventils, and they visibly recoiled. Good. What is the use of giving you the gift of magic when you use it to harm your own flesh and blood??

But, she— A blonde one spoke up, and I silenced her with a glare; quite literally. She silently screamed as her voice was stolen from her; a small, glowing orb suddenly floating in my open palm. Sending it back to her, she collapsed, coughing, as it was returned to her throat.

Did it ever occur to you to engage in a civil conversation to bargain for your freedom? I continued. Instead of using your own brute force to overtake and forcibly bend others to your will?
Like you're one to talk, that same part of me scoffed, and I snarled at it.
How...how are you even here? Raven whispered. You...Lunalis—

Ah, yes; her. I supposed I should probably give her body back so she could greet her sister properly. Swiftly, I ran my fingertips over the wounds Raven had inflicted upon me (for such a gangly little thing, she was quite vicious), healing them with a touch; after all, it would be unbecoming to present myself in less than ideal physical condition. Then, I used my remaining presence to revert my hair back to its usual black with magenta sheen, cyclamen eyes blazing bright in the dark before fading, leaving a dazed and confused Lunalis.

The minute Eclipse had gone, I laid eyes on the others in the room. The mist had long since cleared, the others too surprised to maintain it. I took a long, slow look around the cage. I recognized each and every one of the faces that stood out; Pythia's deflated hood, Meloetta's telltale ginger hair and fur, which was constantly shedding everywhere. Araidne's solid blue eyes and charcoal skin, six spindly arms posed in shock.

I recognized Mystere, which surprised me; considering she was most certainly not a friend of any of my friends, and certainly not my own, her presence surprised me. Cowering in the corner with her were Daruk and Callista. Of course; where the rotting meat goes, so do the rats.

Then, I finally set my eyes on Raven. Sweet, sweet little Raven, standing a mere ten feet away from me. Sister? Raven asked, her voice barely a whisper. Is it...is it truly you? Her eyes were as big as moons and shone just as bright with the beginnings of tears. Yes, my sister, I smiled, my eyes welling up as well. I offered my arms out, and she slammed into me, full force, squeezing me tight and drenching my shirt in the process.

Oh, my little bird, I whispered into her hair, stroking her ears softly. Look how big you've gotten. All grown up.
I'm not that old, she laughed, wiping her eyes.
And yet here you stand, proud and tall, I said, my own tears welling up and blurring my vision.

My sister—child of the sun, the daylight below ground— was standing right in front of me, hugging me. Actually hugging me. I never thought I would see her again, and it made me cry all that much harder once I squeezed her in return, heart hurting from the ache of joy. We stood there for a few minutes, simply relearning the feeling of being in each other's arms, before Raven pulled away slightly to speak.

When you didn't come back, we...we... She faltered, sobbing a bit.
We thought you were gone, Meloetta came over and joined our hug. Lost to the forests and its terrors.
When you didn't come back after archery practice, we interrogated Mystere and Callista about what had happened, Araidne explained. They said they sent Raven's arrow into the treeline, and Pythia, she...well, she—

I merely confronted them, she answered, flicking a wrist flippantly. Araidne's more...eccentric family simply helped get my point across. A glare cast at Mystere's group and they all recoiled; I couldn't blame them. Araidne's family was quite...eccentric, as if that was a better word for 'borderline Proditorus'.

When you didn't come back the next day, we petitioned the Alpha to send out a search party, Raven told me. But...but he wouldn't agree.

Why? I asked, confused. I know Luporis. He's a good man, and I don't ever remember him leaving a Ventil to find their way home by themselves. Why would he refuse now? They shuffled their feet, muttered a few things under their breath and didn't look me in the eyes. My stomach dropped.

Luporis isn't the Alpha any more...is he? I asked. Araidne slowly nodded. Who took his place? No one answered. The panic in my system rose, my breathing heavy. Who. Took. His. Place? I growled out.

You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Raven whispered.
Raven, I've been kidnapped by humans, eaten their food, met trolls, fought off pixies and kissed a person from another planet. I think I've exceeded the limit for the word 'unbelievable' for more than one lifetime, I said flatly.

Lunalis, Meloetta started slowly, exiting the hug. We want to tell you, we really do. But, we're afraid.
Afraid of what?
Afraid you won't return with us if you knew, Araidne finished, coming closer.
Why wouldn't I-
Lunalis, Pythia finally snapped, silencing all of us. It's Ramos. Ramos is the new Alpha.

W–what?

I felt numb with shock. My legs were quaking, and I felt my drumming heart thumping faster and faster with fear. Ramos. Ramos was the leader of the Ventils. Ramos was my Alpha now. Ramos now controlled the actions of every single Ventil in the caves, including my friends. And my little sister. I backed away, out of Raven's embrace, away from everyone. I needed to somehow process this, though I couldn't begin to fathom how.

Lunalis, Pythia whispered, her yellow eyes for once dropping their usual stagnant stoniness. Instead, they were glowing with concern. I'm so sorry.
Sorry, I laughed bitterly. Like sorry could even begin to amend for the pain I've been through.

Lunalis... Araidne whispered, reaching out to me but I recoiled at her touch.
Sorry, I growled. Won't begin to heal the scars I have. Sorry won't make my parents forgive me. Sorry won't bring Scorpio back! I collapsed, heaving sobs. Araidne slipped an arm around my shoulder and helped me stand. Lunalis, Pythia said hesitantly. There's something else, too.

What could possibly be worse than my brother being the ruler of our pack? I sniffed, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. There is a stranger, Raven whispered. A stranger in our home.
What? I asked, pushing out of Araidne's grasp. How? No one knows the location of our den. How did he find us?

We do not know, Raven whispered. He is a creature from beyond the stars. Not a Ventil, nor a human. His skin is blue like a summer sky, and his soul is blacker than a raven's shadow.
He bears a weapon of immense power, Meloetta continued. It spits fire and cut down many lives the day he came, spilling the blood of so many innocent Ventils.

He has the four eyes of a spider and the horns of a bull, Araidne said. He stands taller than the largest bear. He forged a pact with Ramos; promising us the surface in exchange for our help to find and kill his enemies.

His enemies? I asked. What enemies?
A male and female, Pythia answered. Two siblings, born the same day. Their names are Aja and Krel Tarron. I staggered back, full of shock.

Krel, I whispered, thinking of him. My ignorant, stubborn, brilliant, Akiridion mate? There must be a mistake, I insisted. Krel is harmless! He would never hurt anything!
Of course you would say that, Mystere hissed from the shadows. The murderer finds a friend in the enemy of a hero. I wouldn't be surprised if she fell in love with whatever creature Idonio declared war on.

Idonio, I murmured, flipping through my brain for any memory of that name.
Besides, why should we worry about what Lunalis thinks of our leader's choices? She snarled, coming closer, favoring her left leg ever so slightly; I suppose ramming into my magical shields at full-force had something to do with it. She betrayed the pack. She's grown soft, weak; blinded by humans. She came here of her own free will, and never took the opportunity to escape beforehand. She said herself she claimed the Tarron as her equal. Why should we even call her a Ventil?

Watch your tongue, Mystere, I growled, stepping towards her. I have gained allies in these humans. I have learned firsthand how they live, how they learn, and how their love for their friends and family gives them more power than you ever will have. Mystere snarled, claws extending out. I released mine as well and hissed, standing my ground.

You are a pathetic excuse for a Ventil, she growled, growing in size. Shoulders widening, hair shortening, feminine curves dissolving into masculine strength. He was now about six feet tall, muscular beyond description, only his blonde curls and blue eyes hinting at his true identity.

I copied her, letting my body change into the male version of myself. Now, I stood at almost his height, both of us glowing with power. We were grenades made of magic, just waiting to explode. Ramos should have finished you when he had the chance, he smirked, voice deepened by a full octave. Howling in rage, I ran at him. Yowling in response, he charged, and we clashed in a brutal fight.

As soon as our fists connected, the misty barriers were shattered, throwing everyone backwards. I flew into the glass wall, and Mystere hit the ground and rolled with a grunt. Scrambling to my feet, I gathered my strength again, magic flowing into my hands and wrapping me in a purple aura. Mystere charged from the darkness a moment later, bounding towards me on all fours and slamming me into the wall with his extra momentum.

Gasping in pain, I struggled to block his attempts to rearrange my facial structure. He fought like a demon, sending blow after blow at my head, and I barely managed to deflect his attacks. I could hear yelling and arguing from outside the cage, and I remembered something very important about male anatomy. Bracing myself against the glass, relying on Mystere's hold on me to keep me stable, as quickly as I could I raised my legs up and kicked him square in the abdomen. I heard muffled cheers from the outside as he flew back, groaning in pain when he hit the ground.

I turned and flashed a victory smile at my friends, but the triumph was short lived when Mystere punched me in the mouth. Stumbling away, I crashed on my backside, spitting red from my mouth. Something was rolling around in my cheek, and I spat it into my palm. It was one of my teeth. Wonderful, I thought, tossing it aside and standing again.

I fired spells at Mystere, but he dodged every single one, coming closer and closer with each one until he knocked me onto my back. Picking me up by the collar of my shirt, I struggled to escape when he bashed his skull into mine. Dazed, I barely registered the pain as he threw me into the back wall.

My guise melted under the stress, my body changing back to a female. I could barely see straight, and I heard screams and fists pounding on the back wall. Mystere picked up my limp form by the wings, grinning with victory. I screamed, my back burning in agony. I was so blurry with pain, I barely noticed the slight hissing noise coming from behind me. Feline Ventil, a very familiar voice bellowed, deeper than his usual tone. Your days of terrorizing my love are over!

Huh- Mystere started, but he barely had time to finish before he was thrown by a bright blue light that knocked him back with an incredible force. Krel?! I gaped at him, kneeling next to me. How are you speaking—never mind. What are you doing?! Get out of here!

I will not stand by and let you get hurt, he said, helping me rise; I could feel his determination to help me. Fine then, Eclipse growled. I gasped when his touch ghosted over my wings. You'll help us by being a battery.

Grabbing his arm roughly, he gasped as I drained the energy from him, filling me with a delightful tingling sensation. He dropped like a stone, legs collapsing under him. Krel!! I gasped, resigning to giving Eclipse a piece of my mind later. Are you alright? He nodded weakly. Good. Now, shield me; I'm going to go for Mystere.

Not alone, you're not, a voice chimed in from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Raven standing confidently beside me, claws sharp and teeth bared. I am tired of my sister always picking on me, Meloetta snarled. It is about high time we defended ourselves against them. Pythia hissed in agreement, and Araidne nodded. Alright, then, I said, eying how Callista and Daruk were loitering around Mystere's crumpled form, who was back to looking female, but rising—slowly but surely—to her feet. You four will go after Daruk and Callista; I've got Mystere. Krel will cover me.

Nodding, we each took a stance, and charged to meet our opponents. Pythia was the quickest, her movement a blur of mottled browns before she slammed full-force into Daruk, knocking the mountain-like bear off his feet with a grunt. Ariadne followed up quickly behind her, rapidly spinning webs of silken magic to cocoon him and prevent him from moving. Daruk roared in anger, before Ariadne shot a web at his mouth and promptly shut him up.

Meanwhile, Meloetta had launched herself at her older sister, and the duo of the redheads had begun. They circled each other, claws out, two planets of cedar and rose red orbiting just out of each other's reach. Raven was ducking in from time to time, swiping at her or knocking her off balance.

Krel and I charged straight ahead, headed straight for Mystere. She rushed forward, but quickly stumbled over her bad leg again, collapsing on the ground. I surged downwards, throwing her up and into the wall again with a large sweep of my arm. She yelped as her back hit the wall, feline ears pressed low against her head as I pinned her against it, multiple feet above the ground.

She struggled for a few moments, hissing and clawing at wherever she could get, screaming bloody murder. I slammed her against it again to still her, and she went limp. That. Is. Enough, I growled. I looked into Mystere's eyes, full of fear; terrified that I would hurt her the way that she hurt me for years. Slowly, she shut her eyes in submission and nodded.

I released my clenching grip on her throat, and she collapsed, panting and wheezing against the wall. I turned to look at my friends, who were now staring in wonder at Krel. I supposed with the battle over, they wanted to know who exactly this strange creature was.

Oh, right, I said, taking Krel's lower pair of hands and lacing my fingers between them. My friends, this is Krel Tarron. My love, and mate for life. He bent down to kiss my forehead, to which I hummed happily. No sooner had the words left my mouth, Meloetta's eyes promptly rolled back into her skull, and she fainted on the spot.