Soul Ties

Chapter 11: Home Away From Home

I had spent years imagining what it would be like the first time I laid eyes on Xoven. What color it would be, the amount of moons it had, and if I would be able to see the water from so far away. Nothing could've prepared me for what I was seeing in front of me now. Not even the amount of times I'd heard the stories from my mother.

The planet itself wasn't a perfect circle like I'd figured all planets would be. Instead, it had more of an odd shape to it. A shape that I had never seen before, let alone knew what it would be compared to. The only thing I could come up with was some sort of bloated diamond, but that didn't seem right.

At each corner of its lumpy shape was a moon that somewhat resembled Xoven itself. Honestly, they all looked like a smaller version of the planet they orbited. How odd, I thought while I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. I wanted to ask Barlow about it, but my mouth was too dry to form any words.

Xoven was like a rainbow of colors. On the upper right it had light shades of reds and pinks, the moon nearest to that area sharing the same color as that side. Across from it on the left was yellow, with small spots of oranges dotted randomly here and there. Underneath that side was a shade of purple so deep it could easily be mistaken for black. And opposite from that side were blues and greens.

I knew which part of Xoven I had to go to. I couldn't stop staring at the side that resembled the ocean. The blue almost seemed like it was glistening, dancing with waves. Maybe it was my mind making me believe whatever I wanted to see right then, but I couldn't deny the way my chest was feeling. I was warm inside.

"Hey, Barlow?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is each side a different color? I thought Xoven was basically the same throughout the entire planet," I ask.

Without hesitating, Barlow enhances the image of Xoven on the window. I didn't think my breath could be taken away more than it already was, but, clearly, I was wrong. Each of the moons were closer in view, and it was impossible not to notice how fast they were turning. It should've been outrageous for the moons to be rotating as fast as they were, but, honestly, what did I know? At this point, I realized how out of depth I was.

"Each side of Xoven grows different flowers. Since each border gets a different amount of sunlight and temperature, the flowers adapt to what they can handle," he explained.

"Do the moons have flowers too?"

He chuckles. "You'd think so, but they just reflect the side they're pulled to."

"I assume the blue side of Xoven is where most of the water is."

He nods.

"That's usually where Lunoid's go if their mates are on Xoven."

I would be one of those Lunoid's soon. And I hoped Seren knew that's exactly the place we needed to go. Sadly, there was no way to contact her to let her know that's where I'd be. I just had to have faith she would take the same route I would so, eventually, I could find her in the water like I had promised.

"My mother told me about the Sidin's that live there. She said they're kind of like snakes?" I don't know why I form it as a question when what I said was common knowledge. Everyone knew Sidin's were of reptile decent, but I guess I want Barlow to confirm everything I'd been told.

He was the only thing I had now to any form of answers, which didn't comfort me in the slightest. It actually made me feel vulnerable. Goddess, I needed to get a grip, and maybe a better backbone than the one I had since I wasn't using mine.

"That's true," he confirms, either enabling me or just oblivious to how unsure of everything I am. "Where the Everot's lack in eyesight, the Sidin's make up for it. Their vision is impeccable."