Prologue part III

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 They had passed unexpectedly and easily through the gates of the great capital, answering a few brief questions about their whereabouts, their destination and their intentions.

With her senses, they easily navigated through the crowded markets and noisy streets up to the dukedom walls, behind which Nephira felt the spirit of the Guardian.

They were just sneaking in when they found themselves under a wooden trap, happily caught by two men they hadn't even had time to notice, who, once they had them, chatted and joked amongst themselves about how they would be perfect for the duke's favourite stew, rabbit stew. As if that weren't enough, they put them in a small cage on a bed of yellow sânziene.

Humans and their obsession with these plants.

Wherever he went in the world, he encountered them and in certain situations, he could hardly avoid them, and in the capital, it was no different.

In fact, they used them more than anywhere else, mixed in with the plants growing by the roadside, in pots or sold in dried form at stalls for teas and other drinks. They were beneficial to them, while for the others—draks or iele—they were an object of torture because for them they were poison, just as the white sânziene were poison for humans. And it seems that people even used their yellow sânziene as a sleeping mat for animals.

In their current form, it couldn't affect them in any way other than by preventing them from using their powers, thus preventing them from pre-shifting.

The image of his tortured daughters flashed painfully before his eyes and he closed them tightly in despair. For his stupidity, they were about to lose their lives after they lived, only the Great Braa knew how...

 Furthermore, he was responsible for the soul of the being next to him who had offered so kindly to help him. Doubly to blame, for he had not had the strength to tell her the true reason why he was seeking the Spirit In-Between Worlds. 

Only that he has to find her to restore balance to the world. He hadn't even given her the chance to make a real choice. Nakul was aware that Nephira wouldn't have helped him if he had told her the truth.

The Guardian represented the balance of the worlds and was loved by most. Only the leadership always had something to plot. No one would dare turn against the Great Braa like that unless they wanted to count their days, and he didn't want to shorten his, but he had found no other way to save his children.

 The Empress of the Iele cared about honour as much as they—the Draks—did, and if he fulfilled his mission, his girls would be free. But now he was even more against the time, for he had learned from Nephira that the sânziane Empress was also searching for Inemin Rugnis.

At that moment, he felt himself pushed and rocked, and when came to realize that Nephira was nudging him with her head, he had no time to comprehend what was happening or what she wanted, as a human child's excited voice sent him jumping around the cage in fright.

"Wow, how cute! They're so fluffy!"

Nakul tried to calm his heart and looked through the bars at the creature watching him with a broad smile and delighted eyes. 

His chest tightened, there was something about the child in front of him—though she didn't look anything alike—that made him think of his youngest daughter, Azina.

This girl with thick, bushy hair had the exact same shade of hair as Azina. There is no doubt about it. It was the colour of fire after it had been processed and softened into a malleable form for shaping that completely lost its redness and remained this lovely colour.

The girl grabbed the cage with outstretched hands and took it in her arms, shaking and rocking it as she ran with it. After quite long moments, the shaking stopped and the box stood on firm ground again, and the little girl was now even closer to it, fidgeting around it and making excited noises.

"I didn't ask, but I'm sure I don't want to find you on my plate tonight," she said and stood up, looking for a way to open the cage. Nakul was watching for the moment. So lucky; it was a shame to miss it. But Nephira suddenly pressed him hard on the front paw and kept jerking her fluffy head towards the girl. 

He didn't understand what she was trying to warn him, but it was a clear sign to stay put. He looked at her puzzled until, above their heads, a large pile of hair appeared and two warm little hands tightened around both of them and he felt himself lifted up.

He tended to struggle and could easily have scratched her and then run away but Nephira was desperately shaking her head. He didn't know what not to do, but clearly, he had to not do what was on his mind.

"You know, I've never had pets. I hope my mother won't be too upset. I mean, I know I have plenty in the whole farmyard and I can play with them. But it would be nice to have you stay here with me, wouldn't it?" She said it in a small, gentle voice.

The girl sat them on her lap and began to pet them gently. Strangely enough, he relaxed instantly; the heart that had been beating almost to break in his chest calmed down and he seemed content to stay just like that under the hands of the girl who was comforting him.

All evening they were being cuddled, fed, comforted, caressed and caressed again, and he was following Nephira's lead.

He was puzzled by what she wanted to do; they were no longer sitting on sânziene, so they could have turned away from the child and transformed into anything else so they could get out or follow the original plan, but he had already made a mistake by not listening to her earlier and didn't want to do it again. Nakul was astonished to see how she not only accepted the girl's caresses but actually sought them out.

Even when the child let them go from her arms and Nakul signaled with his head that now was the time, Nephira shook her head again and followed the girl around her large room.

Finally, the girl fell asleep with both of them sitting beside her on her large bed; her arms, which had not ceased to stroke their furs, fell limp around them.

Then Nephira beckoned him to follow her. Is that what she wanted? to leave at night?

It made sense; they'd waited until evening so they could move unobserved. So, he followed her through the dim light of the room to the double door and there she resumed her form and Nakul followed suit.

Nephira sat on his shoulder and whispered quickly when she saw that Nakul was already reaching out to open the door. "Don't go out!" she said, and he got stuck halfway through and turned to look at her puzzle. 

But he only glimpsed her slightly from the side.

"The girl is the spirit I felt."

The blood instantly froze in his veins and for a long moment, he couldn't breathe. He then twisted in place, causing Nephira to fly off, to turn to look at the child about as big as his arm sleeping under the blankets.

"What do you mean," he asked in a whisper, feeling a deep heaviness in his chest, without taking his eyes from the delicate being, "that she is the Guardian of the In-Between Worlds?"

"No, she is not Inemin. This little one may be a descendant of hers."

Long, long moments of darkness passed, and Nakul didn't know for how long he stood there, staring through the dim light at the frail being he had been sent to end her life.

Nephira finally flew in front of him and looked at him with deep wondering eyes. "I thought you would be glad that your search is over, and you can finally go home."

But he didn't get to answer as she quickly added, "Someone's coming; hide!"

Instantly, a white rabbit ran towards the girl's bed and dove under it. Two seconds later, Nakul came to his senses and followed her example. 

Just as he reached Nephira's side and craned his furry neck to see, the door opened slightly, and the head of a young woman, who looked exactly like the little girl in the bed, poked in.

"Luna, are you asleep, my dear?"