#midnightstar

Duska couldnt have picked a better hiding spot. Crouched behind a trail of bushes, she spied through the leaves in the fading afternoon light. The portal towered over even the tallest trees, dark blue stones smoothly shaped in a ring like structure while the sea lapped at its sides. Perched between two patches of land, what came through the portal wasnt sea water; an iridescent river carried boats and narrow gondolas to a secluded port.

But the interesting part was the people. Sure, Duska had studied the Void, a dark in between realm connected to Saem and Kalisie by the river, but if on one hand he'd never been interested enough to learn anything more, on the other it was seeing the people from the void that truly fascinated him.

The nui had dark blue skin, doppled by light blue markings in the shape of flowing water, intricate flowers and lines wrapping around their slender limbs. Silver jewellery adorned their faces and hands while delicate flowing dresses draped from their shoulders. Many of them wore large brimmed hats and the few who didnt had white sheer blindfolds over their eyes.

She recalled having studied a reason for all those protections over their eyes, but Duska definitely hadnt paid enough attention to actually remember it. Perhaps she wouldve asked Cherish when she came back, in that nonchalant "just curious" tone and then sprinted away when he got into a whole lecture over the importance of learning. Yeah, that worked.

A particularly packed boat crossed the threshold while several people yelled orders and directions, waving their arms and throwing ropes over to the ones on shore. Duska leaned in to observe the bright warm coloured avasja welcome a couple of nui and lead them away as their boat was fastened by the workers. Then, this time in a much more understandable language, even if mangled by some regional common accent that made it hard to tell exactly what they were saying, they started bringing down the various goods with great care.

Evidently the right choice, since one of the nui kept looking back suspiciously at the workers under their layers of sheer.

What could've been so important in those boxes? Some kind of exotic fruit from the void? Perhaps handcrafted jewellery, or glass ornaments. Maybe some kind of special technology or mechanism; after all, the nui were known for their inventiveness, right?

It was between these thoughts that Duska got pushed to the ground. He sputtered, pushing the dirt from his face and reaching for his tiara, fallen somewhere under the bush.

"Qeerin, qeerin," said frantically a light, high pitched voice. And it wasnt speaking avasjan.

Duska turned to her aggressor and she couldnt help but gasp. It was a nui, a small dark skinned kid with their hair tied in two ponytails on either side and a large blindfold over their face, hands swaying in the air as if deeply disoriented.

Should he have actually paid attention in class?? Duska started wrecking his brain for a word, any qeeret word he could remember. What did qeerin mean? Was it hi? Was Duska supposed to say it too?

"Kerin?" she tried.

The stranger stopped in their tracks, frozen. Then chuckled. They actually started laughing at her! Duska wanted to be mad, he wanted to so badly but the stranger's laughter was magical, resounding clear through-

Wait, could others hear them?

With a hand, she dragged the stranger down to the ground while she put her weight on the other to lean into the bush, ignoring the leaves falling from her hair. It seemed no one had noticed them yet.

The nui was looking at her, she guessed, though she couldnt fathom how through the blindfold. Still, Duska had to make them understand. He waved his arms around and then put a finger to his mouth to shush.

"Oh, ni," they whispered, "shhh."

Duska fought back a smile. So maybe the language barrier wasnt all that bad.

But what was a kid nui doing there? She'd never seen any before, despite all her little espionage escapades. It could be that he'd casually missed all the times a kid showed up, but come on, there was no way. Was a kid even supposed to be there?

"Awnin, uhh, ti," how in the world did you say here again, "domoko?"

Audibly sucking through their teeth, the stranger winced and broke into a, albeit this time quiet, laugh.

Sure his qeeret probably could use some work, but he was trying! Maybe that was just too complicated to communicate. Maybe they both needed to start with something simple. Duska wasnt sure she wouldve understood the answer anyway.

She took their hand, guiding it towards herself, pressing their palm to her chest. "Dus-ka" she said firmly. Then he gestured towards them and tapped their shoulder.

"You?"

"Mie-qe-za" they sounded out, their tongue rolling smoothly through the sillables. Their voice was sweet. Unfortunately Duska was pretty sure he could not imitate that. The closest thing she could get to say was 'miekeja', since the z had always given her trouble.

Mieqeza muttered something under their breath, and it was only around the third or fourth time they said it that Duska realized they were trying to pronounce her name. Heh, at least she wasnt the only one struggling to speak another language.

Duska was about to try and ask why they were there again when Mieqeza's head snapped towards the port, where the voices of the avasjan workers grew louder and more agitated. They were saying something about preparing the boat for departure. Duska did notice the two nui he'd seen before reappear by the boat's side, though they were still in the midst of their conversation.

"Konesh, osla mire!"

No idea what they had said, but it sounded urgent. Like, really, really urgent.

Duska turned to the boat again, looking closely. Most of the workers had disappeared, probably gone home for the day, as there were only a couple small gondolas left next to the main boat, and their drivers were waiting for the clear to return to the void.

The last few glimmers of the sunlight outlined the shape of the main cargo. The supplies the nui had brought had been exchanged for several piles worth of food and wheat. She wasnt sure what the deal was with Mieqeza's reaction; the boat was about to leave anyw-

The boat. Was going to leave. Duska turned towards them, looking at their frantic whispering of what were probably several curse words. Of course, Mieqeza had used the boat to get here, and now it was going to leave without them on board.

They pushed themselves up, stumbling, turning around to the port, arms outstretched. Duska followed, grabbing them when they tripped, before they fell face down in the dirt.

He took their hands in his, clutching them close, forcing Mieqeza to focus on him again. Their breathing was warm, rushed. Duska put on the most reassuring tone she could muster, wrecking her brain for just the couple words she needed.

"Kurin."

Help.

"Ti kurin, or, was it kurin ti?" Shaking his head, Duska buried her pride. "Duska, kurin, Miekeja"

Mieqeza stared at her for a few, interminable seconds, then grasped her hands tightly and nodded.

Bringing them back down in a crouch, Duska guided them from the bushes in between the giant boxes piled throughout the port. Every so often an avasjan voice got closer and they both froze, Mieqeza almost hurting her with how they gripped her hand. Then the voice got distant again, and they breathed out in relief before getting closer.

The sky was getting darker, and with it it got harder and harder to see. Though not for Mieqeza it seemed, their steps sounding more sure and steady as they approached the boat together.

Duska wasnt sure how to get them aboard. If they werent meant to be seen, the main stairs were definitely not an option. She gave a glance back at Mieqeza, who pointed to somewhere farther in the darkness. The two walked next to the ship, Duska's hand trailing along the sturdy wooden hull, squinting to try and make out any trace of a passage.

Then the darkness moved. Duska yelped, startled back and Mieqeza yanked him back behind a small crate. Their hands covered Duska's mouth, cold fingers against her warm skin as someone moved behind them.

Duska's turned her head imperceptibly, trying to figure out who couldve caught them so by surprise but Mieqeza firmly held her in place, hunching their shoulders, trying to make themselves as small as possible.

It seemed to work. A few seconds later, Mieqeza's hands retreated from his face and Duska turned to watch them. He wanted an explanation, something, but the figure of a nui walking away was enough. He hadnt seen them at all, it was so dark there, so how could they have ever seen the two of them? Why had Mieqeza been so worried?

She gazed over them and opened her mouth, no sound coming out. Their light blue markings, trailing over their skin like strands of silk, were glowing dimly. Mieqeza looked up, and Duska quickly averted her eyes. But this time, when Mieqeza took his hand, he lingered over their bluish fingertips and flower design for a beat too long before pushing them out of their hiding with probably too much strength and a strange warmness to her cheeks.

They led this time, bringing him just a few steps over to a smaller crate. Mieqeza climbed over, stretching their arms over the edge of the hull and pushing themselves up, landing with a small dull sound on the other side.

Duska grabbed their hand, still lingering on the hull. She didnt really want them to go. She wanted to know, who they were, what they were doing there, what the void was like.

...if they mightve been a friend, his actual first friend.

But he didnt know how to express any of that, least of all in qeeret. He just held their hand back as Mieqeza thanked him.

"Domoko," he whispered, "Void, Mieqeza, mi."

Please, please understand. Mieqeza lowered their head and pulled their hand away.

Duska tried not to look disappointed, stepping back from the ship when something dropped in her hands. A fine silver ring, with a small engraved flower on the front.

"Imanin sa Duska Sinja" they said, smiling. "Jura."

Promise.

As a grin spread over her face, Duska clasped the ring and scurried away while the last boats slowly departed. She stayed, back behind her bush, to look at them until the last gondola crossed the portal, then adjusted the tiara on his head and ran home.

She was going to get the biggest lecture ever from Cherish if she was lucky enough. She had to be. She was going to skip tomorrow's dance class too if it meant getting to see Mieqeza again.

-

Duska dragged the heavy book under her covers, eyes scanning across the index, then flipped through the M section. She stopped when a familiar word appeared. Mieqeza. The description was vague, something about beauty and darkness, as were all the ones for names, but there was a small translation in avasjan at the end. Midnightstar.

He smiled, closing the book and folding his arms behind his head.