Attempts to move her hand were met with pain, but little by little her fingers began to obey again. Raps felt how the pierced palm, now no longer bleeding, was healing from the inside with terrible itching. Arti struggled to move her legs, evidently affected by bruises, but she didn't complain or make a single squeak. Though the streets had emptied, distant cries and the clashing of metal could still be heard. They needed to hurry.

— Arti, come on, get on top, — the girl put her back to her sister, — Don't be stubborn, we need to hurry.

The little girl did not even think of resisting — she only pressed herself closer to her sister when she grabbed her under her feet. The hand responded with pain — tolerable though. Arti didn't weigh that much, or maybe it was the blade that gave her more strength, but Raps broke into a jog, in a hurry and afraid that more black dogs would appear, or that the sorcerer might resurrect once again.

— We need to catch up with the others. It would be good if they haven't gone too far...

— Maybe they'd be better off if they went far away?

Raps fell silent. For their congeners, of course, the top priority was to leave the city, but for her and Arti... For her and Arti it meant being left alone, abandoned to the mercy of fate. And beyond the city lay the desert. The water in the flask Uncle had given them would last for one day. Maybe two, if they rationed it. But Unlad had returned. Perhaps the others would wait for them when they reached a safe place. But what place could be considered safe?

Guided by the tracks left by their kin, they reached an unremarkable, nondescript house that Uncle Sangar had mentioned, surrounded by the corpses of several men: both city guards and Shardin guards, along with one of their own kind—a Taular named Surak. One could call it a small victory, but was it the final one? The tracks led inside the house, indicating that the entrance to the tunnels must be somewhere there.

Behind them, in a distance, a sound akin to an explosion or a short thunder strike reverberated through the city. Raps glanced back. To the west, a pillar of fire shot up into the sky, quickly dissipating into the blue. Smoke plumes followed, mingling with those already rising from other engulfed houses. It wasn't too far away, so they needed to pick up the pace and be prepared for anything.

Inside, twilight prevailed, and with Arti still in her hold, Raps retrieved Suiravka and enlarged it to the size of a small dagger, allowing the runes to illuminate their path. They seemed to pulsate, occasionally growing brighter or dimmer. Clearly, the tunnels lay deep beneath the house. As they descended into the basement, they came across a spiral staircase leading down into darkness.

As they descended the stairs, a second thunder strike reached their ears. Immediately afterward, for no apparent reason, Raps's fur stood on end. A sense of unease gripped her heart. Judging by how tightly Arti clung to her, the little one felt it too. Something was happening, something bad, unsettling. Raps couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but she could sense it instinctively — the threat wasn't coming from below; it was elsewhere.

But where? What was happening? These strikes... The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble, then immediately fell still again, but the unease didn't dissipate. There was no time to waste — they needed to keep running.

Descending the stairs didn't take long, but doing so with Arti on her back was quite challenging. At the end of the spiral staircase, they were met by a small room where a steel grate had been torn from the wall, revealing the gaping darkness of a deep passage leading somewhere far away. Could this be the salvation they were seeking? Another strike echoed, causing dust and tiny stones to rain from the ceiling.

Raps managed to catch sight of some clever mechanisms on the walls. She thought they were remnants from a bygone era — the time of the Sandstorm — but there was no time to study them. In any case, their congeners had made sure these mechanisms didn't obstruct their path. Inside the tunnel, it was dark, damp, and chilly — much colder than in the mines. The loose floor bore clear signs of other fleeing footsteps. The tunnel itself was quite wide and tall, even allowing their giant-sized kind, those who had consumed Ittira's potions, to pass through without difficulty or confinement.

— Aren't you cold? — Raps turned back to her sister, attempting to dispel the unease and tension.

— A little...

— Don't worry, you can hug me tighter. Endure just a bit longer.. We'll soon catch up with the other, and we'll have a new home, a warm home.

— Raps...

— Yes?

— If I'm getting in the way, you can go on alone.

— Why would you say such a thing? I promised Mother that I would protect you.

— I promised too, that I would protect you. But now, I'm just getting in your way...

— It's not true! Let's just huddle, otherwise, you'll catch some illness.

Suddenly, Suiravka flickered strangely with its runes, and the sisters found themselves in complete darkness for a moment. When the runes lit up again, the shape of the blade changed on its own—it now resembled a spike or poker, long with multiple angular bends.

— What in the...

From somewhere behind them came a faint crackling sound, as if the air itself vibrated. The fur on her body stood on end once more. Something was approaching. Another black hound?

— Arti, hold on tight!

Raps tried to run as fast as she could. Suiravka began to shimmer and shift in various shades of blue and violet, continuously changing its shape in a chaotic manner. It no longer had a blade —instead, cubes of different sizes appeared, as if sinking into each other and expanding in different directions. Suiravka seemed to be reaching backward with these cubes, enveloping and protecting its owner. Up ahead, a warm light flickered from a torch hidden around the corner, but it also reflected off a metal grate. The grate was lowered, blocking their further progress.

Reaching the grate, Raps gently set Arti on the tunnel floor and tried to command the ever-changing blade to assume a form of her choosing, but it wouldn't obey. For the first time, fear gripped her. Whatever was chasing them from behind was now very close — she could feel it deep in her bones. However, she couldn't do anything about the lowered grate. She even attempted to lift it with her own hands — fruitlessly. That's when she heard voices coming from around the corner.

— Did you hear that? It sounds like something's there!

The voice was unfamiliar, unlikely to be one of their own kin. Humans? Guards? How did they lower the grate? There must be something that lifts it! Raps pressed a finger to her lips, but even without her command, Arti covered her mouth with her palms, trying not to breathe.

— Forget it, we're safe. The passage is closed.

To avoid giving themselves away with light, Raps covered the blade, which continued to behave strangely, with her cloak. Squeezing through the bars was impossible — she couldn't fit. Arti, on the other hand, might have been able to... Raps began examining the walls, noticing the same mechanisms they had encountered at the tunnel entrance. In the torchlight, she spotted a metal object on the tunnel floor suspiciously resembling a key.

— What if it's the catfolk again? We should have closed the grate a little earlier...

— Don't be foolish. Be grateful that we're both alive. I sense something unsettling happening in the city. The earth was trembling. We'll wait it out here.

Raps examined the wall closely and finally spotted a hole where the key had presumably fallen. She removed her cloak from Suiravka and tried once again to command it, but the blade suddenly darted behind her, illuminating the path they had come from. When she turned, she quickly covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Merging with the darkness just a few meters away from them were two otherworldly beings. Like the magical hounds, they were impenetrably black, absorbing the light of the blade. They lacked heads, faces, or anything else that stood out — a symmetrical mass of darkness with three pairs of limbs. They approached slowly, as if surveying their surroundings. In the dim light, the waves of dust and earth around them became visible.

Suiravka transformed into a shield-like object, covering its owner. Cubes continually appeared and shifted on its surface. The creatures rose onto their hind limbs, elongating their bodies and blocking the passage behind them. It was as if they were studying the sisters and the shield-blade, gradually closing the distance. Raps panicked, unable to make a move, but instinctively extended the trembling Suiravka forward. As for Arti...

— Hey, there's definitely something there!

— You wait!

Arti swiftly slipped between the bars of the grate, heading for the key. At the same moment, a soldier appeared from around the corner, holding a torch that illuminated the tunnel.

— Catfolk!

Out of the corner of her eye, Raps saw the man, dropping his torch and drawing his bow, aim at Arti, who grabbed the key. She managed to run to the wall and start the mechanism before her shoulder was pierced by an ineptly fired arrow.

— Arti!

The grate began to rise. The black creatures abruptly dropped onto all their limbs, as if preparing to pounce.

— Zdragav take me! What are the creatures!?

The bowstring whistled again. Both creatures lunged forward, ignoring Raps. She sidestepped to shield her wounded sister, and the monsters raced past them. Extending their black hands, as if preparing to embrace their prey, they leaped at the terrified guards, and in an instant, both the creatures and the guards vanished into thin air. The fallen torch went out.

Suiravka stopped forming cubes and returned to its normal state. Rapsamash lifted her injured sister. Arti was breathing heavily and rapidly. Two arrows protruded from her slender, fragile back—both guards had shot at her.

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— Arti! Hold on, hold on!

Raps examined the wounds in the dim light of the faint runes. Fortunately, they weren't too deep and didn't hit any vital organs, but her sister was losing blood, whimpering softly.

— Hang in there, Arti, just a little longer!

What to do? What to do?! Raps rummaged through the bag her uncle had given her. Aside from a waterskin, provisions, and some small tools, there was also a set of linen clothes. She decided to use them as bandages, but how could she wrap them around the arrows? They weren't lodged deep, so she would have to pull them out...

— Arti, it's going to hurt. Clench your teeth, try not to scream too hard, there might be others.

Arti nodded understandingly and closed her eyes. Raps marveled at her sister's courage. A small, fragile girl who had once again come to her rescue, who had once again suffered. And now she didn't even complain... Mama would be proud of her. Raps grasped the shaft of the first arrow, took a deep breath, and with a swift motion, pulled it upwards. Arti squirmed, attempting to stifle the irregular drumming of her tail and suppressing her scream, but she couldn't, and a piercing cry echoed through the tunnel.

— I'm sorry, Arti, I'm so sorry!

Raps pressed the torn tunic against the bleeding wound, trying to secure it like a makeshift bandage. Arti trembled in pain, trying to hold back her convulsions, silently sobbing and gasping for air. But there was one more arrow...

— You can scream. As loud as you want. Whatever happens...

Arti only looked at her with reddened, tear-filled eyes and nodded again, albeit slightly.

She whimpered, closed her eyes, and prepared herself. With a quick movement, Raps yanked out the second arrow. Arti squealed, the squeal turned into a wheeze, and then into a soft cry. The girl hastily, but firmly, bound her sister's wound, then carefully embraced her.

— Forgive me, Arti, it's all because of me...

If it weren't for Arti...

— But we'll get out of here soon, we will! Just hold on, do you hear me? Hold on!

If it weren't for Arti, she wouldn't have made it this far. None of their congeners, most likely, would have. But where were they now? Did they forget about them? Did they abandon them?

— We need to keep going. I'll carry you. The others must be ahead, they're probably waiting for us, do you hear? They'll help us. We just need to reach them, — Raps said as she hoisted her sister onto her back and cautiously continued deeper into the tunnel, — We'll pass through this dark tunnel and then all go together to the beautiful city by the bay. And we'll be free. Can you hear me, Arti? Free!

Her sister didn't respond, breathing heavily and intermittently. Did she worsen her condition by removing the arrows?

— You need to rest. You can try to sleep while I carry you. I'll be careful.

The tunnel ended with the same broken mechanism as at the entrance. Once again, a spiral staircase led them upward. After climbing it, the sisters found themselves in a small, long-abandoned room. There were traces of their congeners everywhere, but all of them led away from the house. They weren't waiting for them... Arti, sometimes twitching, slept with a feverish slumber — she was starting to run a fever, but Raps didn't know how to help her. All that remained for her now was to follow the traces. To go where freedom awaited them. To the place where the mythical city from their Mama's stories should be. But was it real?

Seeds of doubt grew stronger in Raps's heart. Ahead lay the desert, and Arti was getting worse. They were alone, completely alone. But they were free... Were they?

***

She continued walking for two days, carrying Arti on her back, pushing through the desert dunes. The traces of their kin vanished within them, dissipating like ripples on water. Raps simply walked, guided by the sun. Toward where the bay should be. Toward where the city should be. At night, she could barely keep Arti warm with her own body heat. Her sister had not come back to her senses since they left the tunnel. Raps gave her water, but she still watched in horror as her lips grew increasingly dry. The waterskin held only a few last drops.

The merciless sun drained the sisters, taking away their last chances of reaching the coveted city. But if it weren't for Arti, they wouldn't have made it this far. If it weren't for Arti...

— R... R-a-a... a...

— Arti!

Raps gently laid her sister on the ground, spreading the cloak over the scorching sand. The little girl had grown extremely weak. The rags, already soaked in blood, were once again wet and sticky.

— R-a... R-a-ps... — Arti tried to reach out her hand to touch her sister's face but lacked the strength, and her hand fell.

— Arti? Arti!

The girl's head fell weakly to the side. The gaze of her blue eyes drifted off into the distance, towards the horizon. Towards where the longed-for city was supposed to be.

— No, no, no! Arti! Arti!

Raps gently shook the small, battered body of her sister. The glassy eyes continued to stare into the distance, unblinking. She pressed her ear to her chest — silence.

— Arti... no... Arti!

Holding her sister close, she repeated her name incessantly, sobbing softly. Anger, pain, and despair enveloped her, and Raps, baring her teeth, let out a roar, releasing those emotions outward. Hoarse and heavy-breathing, she glanced repeatedly from the horizon to the lifeless body lying in her arms. Should she follow her? Raps drew Suiravka, transforming it into the shape of a dagger, and pressed it against her throat. The runes on the magical blade emitted a soft blue light, as if everything were normal. Raps hesitated. Slowly lowering the weapon, she looked at Arti with uncertainty, then shifted her gaze back to the blade.

— If you can do anything... If you're capable of it...

She didn't know why she suddenly started talking to Suiravka as if it were alive. Desperation? Inspiration?

— Do it. Take what you want. Give Arti back to me. Do you hear me? Do you hear me?? Do you hear me?!

Raps shouted, holding the dagger outstretched in her hands. Nothing happened.

— Why... Why me? Why am I alive, and she's not?! Give her back to me!!

Her throat suddenly hurt, and she started coughing, not letting go of the dagger.

Her throat ached sharply, and she started coughing, not letting go of the dagger.

— I beg all the gods, old ones and new ones... If you hear me...

Speaking and breathing became more difficult, her chest felt as if it was being squeezed, her vision blurred. She finally felt the burning air of the desert in her lungs.

— If you hear me... give... Arti... back to me...

Her strength abruptly left her, and Raps, collapsing onto her side, succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness.

----------------------------------------

She finally regained consciousness. Bright light seeped through her closed eyelids, causing her to squint and turn away. However, Raps didn't feel the heat of the desert. On the contrary, she felt freshness and coolness as she lay on something soft. She covered her eyes with her hand—her back and shoulder ached. Raps frowned. Why did her shoulder hurt? She forced herself to open her eyes and look around.

It was a small room with three wide-open windows that let in a blindingly bright sunlight. Light white curtains swayed in the pleasant cool breeze. A pair of embroidered rugs hung on the whitewashed clay wall across from her. She herself lay in a spacious bed covered with patterned blue blankets. To the left of the bed was a wooden stool, on which sat an old wise woman, smiling.

— Grandma... Ittira?

The words came out with difficulty, her throat tightened.

— Did we... die?

— Oh, goodness me! — The old woman chuckled, —It's too early for me to die! And for you even more so! Look, you managed to get out, Rapsi, hm?

— What... where are we?

— Noa'Derri! The city by the bay! — the wise woman proudly announced.

Raps took a few seconds to comprehend what the old woman said, and sudden realization pierced her mind.

— Where... Where is Arti? Where... is she?

— Oh, she's probably out and about somewhere.

— What?

— Everything is fine with your little sister. She'll come visit you soon.

— I... She...

Raps couldn't finish her sentence, she was afraid to shatter the possible illusion.

— She what, hm?

If they haven't died, then what Ittira says doesn't bear much resemblance to the truth...

— How... How did we get here?

— Oh, this is interesting. Your uncle, when we got to the nearest well and replenished our supplies, went back with some others. Said he knows you also got out, but you need help since you didn't catch us up. Well, they found you, even very quickly: your sister did a good job, climbed onto the dune and waved all sorts of rags.

— Arti? Climbed?

— Well, yes, you were near death, hm?

— But that was Arti who..

— Well, we were surprised too. The rags on her were bloody, and the wounds were on you. It was as if you two switched clothes. And that little girl—she didn't even flinch from the heat, but you... you were all dried up. Like laid there for almost a whole month, trembling, with a fever, refusing to let go of that needle of yours. It must have been its doing, hm?

Raps only now realized that she tightly held the Suiravka needle in her left hand.

— I don't understand...

— Well, feel your back.

The girl reached out with her free hand and, wincing in pain, touched her back. To her surprise, she felt a couple of painful scars where there was no fur.

Curious, isn't it? Now let's wait for Arti. In the meantime, I'll tell you what we've been doing here.

Ittira explained how they had journeyed through the desert from well to well for a couple of weeks, heading north towards Noa'Derri. Along the way, they encountered other refugees and slaves, even a few caravans heading from the bay to Luak'Varet. By trading with them, they managed to acquire some provisions. However, some did not survive the hardships of the dangerous and arduous journey, and they were buried in the warm sands. Upon reaching the coveted city, the Taulars and their other fellow travelers were surprisingly welcomed and immediately offered modest shelter, food, and work. The Free City needed a lot of labor to continue growing and developing. It seemed like a fairy tale, although it required a lot of effort to provide housing for the refugees — many houses were still under construction, and there were many more to be built. Meanwhile, Raps had been unconscious and was taken to the local infirmary, where her kindred and local healers and priests took care of her. Arti occasionally left to rest and play with her peers, but most of the time, she stayed by her sister's side.

— The youngsters are mostly occupied with farming — while the tide is low, the land near the bay is particularly fertile. Sangar and Sanlad are digging wells and extracting clay — they put their mining skills to good use for the common good. Once they're done, they'll come to see you in the evening. I'm sure you'll be happy to see them, won't you?

— Of course, gran, — Rapsamash hesitated and looked away, — I... I'm sorry about Unlad...

— He decided it himself, Rapsi, — the wise woman's voice seemed to tremble, — I can only hope that my stubborn boy has found his peace. We lost many friends and family, but here we are, and we are finally free. You will tell what happened to you, won't you?

— Yes, — the girl suddenly felt a gnawing hunger—her stomach rumbled quietly, —Can I have something to eat?

The old woman laughed.

— Of course, sweetheart, of course. I'll bring something now. You love fruits, don't you?

— Raps!

A high-pitched child's voice echoed through the infirmary, preceding her appearance.

— Arti!

— Raps!

The girl ran into the room and quickly jumped onto the bed, hugging her sister, who sat up on the pillow.

— Raps! Raps! — Arti sniffled, trying to hold back her tears, — I was afraid you wouldn't wake up...

— Arti... I'm so glad you're okay! What... What happened then? You were very bad, and at one point, I thought...

Raps burst into tears, embracing her sister in return.

— Look at her back, Rapsi, — Ittira, who hadn't left the room yet, smiled at the sisters' reunion.

— Yes, Raps, look!

Arti pulled down the collar of her shirt, and Rapsamash saw that in the places where the arrows had hit her, there were no scars, but instead, patches of black fur. Raps reached out her hand again to feel her own back — smooth skin, as if shaved, surrounded the scars. Scars from the arrows?

— A couple of Arti's ribs are a bit larger than they should be. And yours, Rapsi, the opposite. Curious, isn't it?

— I don't understand how this is possible... We... We switched bodies?

Ittira laughed.

— Well, Rapsi, calling it switching bodies is a bit of an exaggeration. More like exchanging body parts. How is it possible, hm? It seems to me you still don't know everything about your magical needle.

Rapsamash looked at Suiravka in her hand once again — it quietly shimmered with blue runes, as usual. But that wasn't the most important thing right now.

— Let's go quickly, Raps. I'll introduce you to my friends and show you the city! It's beautiful, really beautiful! And there are so many fruits! I haven't even tasted them all yet!

Arti looked at her sister with her clear, blue eyes — their Mama's eyes.

— Don't rush, Arti. Rapsi still needs to regain her strength.

— Then I'll sit here with you and tell you about the city and our friends! They're wonderful, even the ones who are humans.

— You've made a lot of friends, haven't you, Arti? — Raps put Suiravka aside, perhaps for the first time in a couple of months.

— Yes! We even have a pet—it's a little rishi! Do you know what rishis are?

The girl began to tell her sister incessantly about her adventures, but at some point, she grew melancholic and fell silent.

— It's sad that Mama can't see all of this...

Rapsamash hugged her sister tightly once again.

— She sees it, Arti. She sees everything. She's always with us. And I'm sure she's very happy right now.

Thus began the rising of the Moon and the Sun of Noa'Derri.

It was the year 2921 After the Portal was Opened.