The Ruler's Rift

Aurum

Celeste admired Lucy all the way through town and up the hill to the secluded, overseeing mansion. The hour flew by like a second, and she needed to be nudged to realize they'd reached their destination.

She raised an eyebrow at the towering structure, examining every shingle. "This is her house? It seems a tad bit overkill."

"As if you wouldn't live here if you could," Lucy said.

"Fair enough." Celeste followed the Sharcanid to the porch. Shimmering statues of ravens guarded the front door; surely they weren't real gold, right? The doorknob shared this glistening surface, and lit lanterns hung all around. Celeste wondered if this was a house or a castle. Perhaps Lucy was right - perhaps they would have to throw money at the door.

Before that attempt, Lucy knocked nonchalantly. Celeste stood beside her, predicting a tedious wait. The door flew open almost instantly as if the rich dog not only expected them, but eagerly awaited them.

The woman who opened the door boasted the traits of a black fox, with ears, feet, and a tail similar to Lucy's. She, however, took her canine traits further. She had small fangs and clawed fingers, as well as arms coated in black fuzz. Her eyes shined brighter than her golden decor. "Hello! Can I help you?" She trilled, gaze fixed on Celeste. In nearly the same sentence, she added, "Oh...I didn't see you, Lucille."

"Do you ever?" Lucy asked.

Proving her point, the fox pawed out of her door and closer to the Mystearlian. "You clearly aren't from around here. Welcome to our humble little planet. How can I assist you? Perhaps you've come to survey some of my company's award-winning jewelry?"

Celeste craned her neck back. "Sorry, I don't even know the name of your company..." she muttered.

"Therapyrre's Prizes!"

"And you are...the owner?"

"I'm Nova Therapyrre. But enough about me, I truly want to know how I can assist you."

After noting Lucy's look of suspicion, Celeste said, "Well, if you want to cut to the chase...I heard you have a ship. I'm looking to use it."

Nova's ears stood tall and she counted her fingers. "I have ships for sea exploration, and ships for shipments, haha. Also-"

"Spaceship," Lucy interrupted, "she wants to use your spaceship."

The fox shot an acidic glare at the opposing Sharcanid, then smiled at Celeste. "Oh! Sure, darling."

Celeste's gaze darted between the canines. Questions contorted within her, but her focus remained on reaching her home world. "Thank you. What will you charge?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing," Nova claimed.

Lucy's eyes widened.

Nova continued, "I get little use out of the thing anyway, and I'm happy to help a visitor of our world!" She turned to the front door and beckoned her guests inside. "Come, I'll get us some refreshments. What is your name, by the way?"

"Celeste," answered the Mystearlian as she entered the mansion. Lucy followed, and the demon pondered these two's history. Lucy couldn't have been more wrong about Nova - she didn't seem greedy or rude in the slightest. Wealth never guarantees the worst.

Nova led her visitors to a table amidst a room where white covered all, accented with golden leaf. The tablecloth resembled snow, and the candelabra centerpiece glowed like a winter sunset.

"One moment while I fetch my butler," Nova said before leaving the room.

Lucy gasped as if surfacing from water. "Okay, Celeste, this is weird. She's being way

too nice."

"And just what is so weird about being nice to me?" Celeste smirked.

"Because she's never like this!"

Or, Lucy merely saw Nova through her own tinted lenses. Celeste sighed, "maybe you're just jealous."

"Of what? This awful decor?"

Blue eyes darted around. "Hm, I find it quite nice."

"Find what nice? There's nothing here!"

"Is that not the point of minimalism? I would think an interior designer such as yourself would know as much." Celeste's smile had curled into an antagonizing grin.

Lucy's ears folded down and she buried her face in her palms. "Minimalism is just a fancy word to excuse laziness..." She grumbled.

Celeste laughed, "Well, I guess you're the expert!"

"And I'm not jealous of anything," continued the Sharcanid.

"It could be her money...or maybe you despise the way another woman is being so sweet to me."

"Ugh!" Lucy curled her fingers like hooks, bringing further cackles from the demon.

The malamute's tantrum was interrupted by the fox's return. With her came a well-dressed, muscular man with the head of a Great White.

Nova clapped her hands. "Steven, get us some water, would you? With lemon. Cucumber sandwiches, too."

Steven bowed at the waist and left, his beady eyes never blinking. Celeste tried not to stare, and she tried even harder to forget the shark man as Nova joined the table. She sat with great posture as did Celeste, leaving Lucy the only slouched woman. Nova fixed her eyes, yellow with blue around the pupils, straight on the Mystearlian. "So, where will I be taking you with my ship?"

Celeste sighed. Explaining this would end with confusion. "I know that most people think this is impossible," the demon began, "but I would like to visit Mystearlia."

Nova blinked. "Oh, isn't that world off-limits?"

"Yes...but I can get us through the barrier."

The two Sharcanids exchanged glances, for once appearing to be in agreement. Nova slowly said, "Okay...you'll have to explain to me, miss...how should I address you?"

Worthless prattling made the Mystearlian itch even more fervently for her world. "Celeste - I told you."

"No, no, I really don't think that's polite. What is your last name?"

"Superbia."

"Perfect!" Nova clasped her hands together. "Well then, Miss Superbia, how exactly do you plan to get to Mystearlia's surface? The deities who were part of that rebellion, the one that took out Queen Violet? They cast a barrier-"

"I'm not worried about the barrier. I can dispel it."

Nova blinked for a moment, then broke the silence. "Well...I can't say I fully understand, Miss Superbia, but you seem set. And Mystearlia isn't far. I don't see why it isn't worth a try."

A quiet swept over the room, thrusting it deeper into a mood of emptiness. Celete's eyes glimmered with hope, and Lucy's with disbelief. She was first to challenge the thrill of success. "And...you're gonna do this without charging anything? You're going to fly us yourself to a dangerous, closed off world, without charging anything?" She asked, glaring at Nova.

"Well, I'm going to fly her," corrected the fox. She nodded to Celeste.

Despite Lucy's paranoia and her seemingly insatiable desire to screw this up, Celeste felt her chest tighten at Nova's tone. "I would like for Lucy to join us," she clarified. Her voice, sultry as always, fell firm.

Nova's ears pressed against her head. "Oh, I apologize for my assumption, Miss Superbia. I'll take you both."

"Thank you. I'd like to leave shortly, if you aren't busy," Celeste added just as Steven returned with their water and sandwiches.

"Certainly. Whenever you're ready. I'll fetch the keys." With that, Nova excused herself and once again left Lucy and Celeste to stew in their disagreement.