Queen Of The Ventils

XXXV

"I still can't believe you did that," Claire said in disbelief the next day as we walked home from school. "I can," I smiled, happy I no longer needed to hide my true nature. Though, I must admit, my human disguise had grown on me; even with my animal appendages freed from their magical prison, I kept my hair the color of a baby deer and my eyes the shamrock green I'd grown accustomed to.

Many humans were still coming to grips with the term that I was not human, though they adjusted fairly quickly; I supposed with trolls and wizards running amok in Arcadia, another magical creature added to the mix wasn't that big a deal. Insanity had decided to tag along with us nowadays, to see the fear on people's faces, and walked beside us with no disguise to hide her disfigurements.

Before, when she'd taken over my body, Krel had told me our forms had merged to create a combination between the two of us; now that she was out, she was a stark contrast to the image. Her facial features, animal parts and burns were all the same, but her skin was now the color of soot, and her eyes were narrow and smaller than mine.

She was bony and thin, like a skeleton with a sheet of skin wrapped around it. Her wings clattered and dragged behind her as she walked with a hunched back, growling at anybody who stared for too long at her. She'd chosen to clothe herself in a sweater and tattered leggings, though she'd already shredded the bottoms of her pants and taken off the sleeves to not restrict her arm movement.

I grow weary and impatient of waiting inside here, Ela growled as we walked down the street. I wish to feel the sunlight on my face once more; to see the blue sky, the rush of wind beneath my wings, Zephyr agreed longingly. We wish to be free.
I cannot free you, I sighed, exhaling aloud. Not yet. I do not know how.
Ask Eclipse; she can help you, Cephas advised.
I would rather be eaten alive by a Karil.

"Earth to Lunalis?" Toby whistled.
"Hm?" I asked. "Oh. Um, yes?"
"He said we were going to GDT Arcane Books to see if we can find that spell that got Insanity out of your head," Claire explained. "Is that okay?"
"Oh! Of course; let's go."

I still can't believe you trust these humans, Scales murmured.
Shut your snout, I ordered as we turned the familiar corner to the bookstore. These humans are the ones trying to free you; show them a bit of respect.

I will not respect the creatures who have poisoned the earth with their greedy desires, Ela hissed, and the others murmured their agreement. I ignored their little side comments as we entered the store.

Now that Douxie and Archie heard the spell I'd chanted the night Insanity took over, they could narrow their search for a spell to free the voices. The team rechecked all of the books in the store, and we even spent a while in the mirror room making sure none of the artifacts there contained the spell Eclipse had given me. Finally, I reached out mentally.

Eclipse? I asked mentally.
I am here, she replied. What is it you wish to ask of me?
That spell you used to free Insanity that night; what was it? Eclipse was silent for a moment, before speaking again. I do not know what you mean. I never used a spell to free Insanity.

What? But that spell wasn't mine!
Was it not? If I remember correctly, it was with your power you freed Insanity. Am I right?
But the words--

Merely a helpful tip to push you in the right direction. It's become quite easy to feed information into that brain of yours. Or, should I say, our brain.
You should not.

"Guys, I think I have an idea," I called them after a moment of thought. "Okay, Eclipse, fine," I said once they'd gathered around me. "You're right; I did use that spell to free Insanity. But you gave me the words; I'll need you to tell me them again."
I will do no such thing. A powerful spell such as that cannot be trusted in the hands of an ordinary Ventil.

"What did she say?" Krel asked.
"She says she won't tell me."
"Oh, come on," Steve yelled impatiently.
"Lunalis, ask her why she can't tell you the spell," Archie prompted.
"Eclipse, why--"

I can hear your human companions perfectly clearly. And to answer the shapeshifter's question, I already told you; it is much too powerful to have in the hands of an ordinary Ventil.
"Well?" Douxie asked.
"She can hear you just fine," I relayed. "And she says the spell has too much power for me to handle."

"Can't she just speak through you like she did with Insanity?" Douxie asked, and Insanity spoke up from the corner. "Eclipse did not speak through Lunalis; she was simply provided with the words. To release the others, it must be Lunalis who chooses to set them free, not Eclipse."
"But the only person who can say the spell is Eclipse," Claire groaned. "Why does everything involving magic have to be so tricky?!"

"Lunalis could always allow Eclipse to take over her mind again, and free Zephyr while her consciousness is in Lunalis' body," Insanity hummed.
"Don't you mean the others?" Douxie asked, and Insanity hissed.
"I owe the other Ventils nothing; it is Zephyr I pledged my undying loyalty for, and it is her I shall wait for until she is free."

"All the same, it's worth a shot," Archie said, swooping onto my shoulders.
"Absolutely not," I growled. "The last time I let Eclipse into my body, she killed my brother, mutilated the other and my sister, and got me disowned by my parents. I can't, not again; I could never forgive myself if she were to hurt one of you."

The others paused, looking at me curiously. "You've all been so kind to me, even after my many mistakes and Insanity's...erm, spontaneous walkabout."
"I regret nothing," she smirked. "I would happily do it again tonight."

"Either way, I owe you Guardians of Arcadia more than words can say. I could not forgive you if I were to hurt you."
"Lunalis," Krel said slowly, taking my hand. "We would not ask you to do this if we thought you could hurt us. We'll be alright; I promise."
"You don't know Eclipse," I whispered. "Her power...how easily she killed Scorpio..."

"You only need to keep her in your mind for a few mere moments," Douxie coaxed. "Then, you can let her go back into...wherever it is she stays when she's not taking over your mind." I smiled, nuzzling Krel's nose with mine and purring contentedly. "Okay," I said softly when I pulled away. "Eclipse, how do I free the others?"

To do that, you must travel to each sister's original den; where they first laid down roots, and ruled all Ventils of their kind. First, seek out Ela; as my eldest, she knows more of my spells than any others, and can aid you in freeing her sisters.

After relaying the information to my friends, I asked, "Where can we find Ela's territory?"
In one of the few places on Earth still untouched by humanity; the densest part of the most hostile jungle on the continent humans called South America, the Amazon Rainforest. Go there, and I will help you free Ela.

I conveyed the instructions to my friends, and immediately Douxie and Archie dove into researching possible areas to explore. Everyone else decided to go home, so home we went, Krel and I walking hand in hand the whole way. Later that night, as I crawled into the squishy rectangle in my room (which I learned was called a bed), one thought kept circling in my mind.

Why? I asked finally, later when I could not sleep.
Why what? Eclipse responded after a moment.
Why did you decide to help me?
You'll have to be more specific.

At the bonfire, for one, and even now; why help free your daughters after all this time?
If I had not freed Insanity when I did, you would have died, she explained. It was in the natural order of things to keep you alive.
Why? Why not just sacrifice me? I'm just one of many you've decided to inhabit over the centuries; why now am I so special?

Because, Lunalis; I see something in you I have never before seen in a Ventil. I see the potential to do what no others have done before.
And what might that be?
The power to finally become one with me.

I knew it, from the moment I first possessed you, you were special. All others before had died before I could even take over their minds; ripped apart by the raw magic flooding into their systems. However, when I took over, you handled my power with practiced ease; as if you and I were already one. You are the one most compatible to release my daughters.

You still haven't answered my second question. Eclipse was silent, and I sighed, rolling over and shutting my eyes. Sleep was starting to overtake me, and I felt myself drifting off. Because I no longer wish to cause them pain, she said softly before I fell asleep.