Harper's eyes were awakened to a new and different world. She was still resting on her back, staring up at a brilliant sunset that was thickly layered in pastel hues above her head. She slowly rose to her feet and took in her surroundings.
Thought doleful, it was a tropical haven of peace and tranquility.
"Welcome to the Median Plane."
She turned around to see Gwinifer standing a few steps behind her. She looked around her surroundings, noticing flowers, trees, and water flowing from mountains in the distance that she had never seen before. Everything appeared to be picturesque and straight out of a landscape painting from the Romantic Period. She was completely mesmerized by all the emotions that were being expressed around her.
After taking a few steps back and looking down, she noticed she had been standing on thick clumps of moss. She couldn't stop herself from feeling overwhelmed.
"What is this place? This plane?" she asked.
"A speck between my world and another," Gwinifer replied.
"Well, it's beautiful."
"You mean sad? Gloomy? Depressing?"
Harper shrugged and felt a pang of loss as the sun began to set. "Well, yeah. This place beautifully expresses despair."
They strolled through the moss-covered ground till they came to a grassland, taking pleasure in the calmness. Harper's thinking had become so unfettered that she had forgotten why they were there and what their purpose was.
"You stated that this place is between your world and another. Did you mean our world and our world?" she asked afterward.
"No. My world and Nergensland," Gwinifer responded. "Behind the door is Nergensland."
"Door?" Harper took a few steps back. "What door?" The two of them were walking along when they came upon something that caught her attention. Something she could never have imagined.
"That door," Gwinifer said, pointing to a door that was glowing warmly.
The door was illuminated by a continuous glow that pulsed in and out. Harper's mouth dropped open in disbelief and awe when she saw the sheer scale of it. It had to be as tall as the skyscrapers she used to find fascinating. She had to crane her neck to see the top, and the longer she stared at it, the more the shape of the door began to take shape.
"I had a dream the other night in which the Moon Queen spoke to me," Gwinifer said. "She told me to bring you to her if I wanted to help my father retake our land."
"The Moon Queen?"
"Queen Niran. She rules over the Kingdom of Lemelherv. The Lycans."
"And what does she want from me? How will speaking with her help your father win his war against Gillen?"
"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Gwinifer motioned for her to enter as they approached the door."Go ahead."
"How about you?"
"I'm not powerful enough to enter Nergensland. And Queen Niran only wants to speak to you. She has not summoned me. I'm simply here to serve as your vessel, to bring you to her, to show you the path. Her great and powerful mage will have you delivered to her."
"Can I trust her?"
"I haven't seen her, and I haven't spoken to her."
"Well, it doesn't sound very comforting, does it?"
"Harper, you're going to have to take a leap of faith. For us all. There is no other option. My father is losing the battle against Gillen, and the ghouls have just reached the mouth of Velaris. This fight is our only chance to reclaim our land. We can't afford to lose now."
"Your land?"
"We are the true Velarians. Gillen deceived my grandfather and seized control of the land. After being forced to flee, my father sought sanctuary in Moorland. He has been trying for decades to retake what is rightfully his and his people's, the City of Velaris."
"Oh my god." Harper gave a nod. "Okay. I'll ask for help from the Moon Queen." She made her steps toward the door with caution, and then she tentatively placed her palms on the glowing panels and pushed them open. As soon as the door creaked open, a fierce gust of wind swept her in and a blazing spiral wall of sparks emerged directly in front of her.
She was so engrossed in what she was seeing in front of her, as well as the nothingness surrounding her, that it took her a time to discover that her feet were dripping wet. When she looked up, she noticed that the sparks were becoming more powerful and larger in size, eventually forming a solid glowing ring.
"Come, child," a voice called out from within the ring's confines. She squinted her eyes and attempted to see anything within, but she couldn't see straight through it.
"Hello?"
Once more, the voice spoke, "Red Wolf is losing his battle. Hurry."
When Harper heard this, she stepped inside the ring and was immediately sucked in. She closed her eyes and held her breath, and she began to feel warm, to the point that she thought she was about to burn. Her heart began to beat faster and louder as she heard a loud ringing in her ear. At the same moment she thought her heart was about to burst, she fell or felt as though she was falling.
Then everything came to a standstill.
She coughed as she opened her eyes and slowly rose to her hands and knees. She had, in fact, landed on solid ground. The pounding in her chest returned when she raised her head and cast a glance around the room where she was. The walls were carved with ornate shapes, and stained-glass windows lit up the place, which looked more like a huge room in a castle, with subdued tones of color.
It was then that she noticed something that was both bizarre and exquisite at the same time, something she had never seen before in her entire life.
As it continued to light, a glowing figure began to approach closer to her. The movement seemed too human. As it approached her, she saw that it was in fact the shape of a woman- slender arms and legs, with bright hair that swayed in the wind.
Harper stood motionless, staring at the towering, ethereal figure that was nothing short of breathtaking. She took involuntary steps toward it, as if she were being pulled. The closer she moved, the more peaceful she felt, as if the woman emitted the power of serenity.
"Hello, Harper."
She exhaled at the thought that the woman, who was clothed in a brilliant, cream silk gown and whose beauty was unworldly, recognized her. "You're..." she began, clearing her throat.
"I am *Queen Niran*."
"I-uh, I..." She gulped. She cleared her throat once more. "Gwinifer... she said... um... she...um..."
Queen Niran cracked a smile. "Be calm," she said that sounded more like an order.
Surprisingly enough, Harper felt at ease all of a sudden. Besides that, her mind was also suddenly able to string words together to make coherent sentences. "You are the Moon Queen."
"I believe I am." The Moon Queen’s melodic voice felt like music to Harper's ears. "And I may appear mystical to you, with all this bright lights and dazzles, but that is only because I am utilizing magic to be here with you."
Perplexed, Harper's brows knit together.
Queen Niran smiled once more. "I'm not really here. What you see in front of you is simply a reflection or a portrayal of me. In the same way that you are not physically present. Your body is still in Velaris."
"Like a *hologram*?" Harper asked, a smile on her face.
"Yes. It's very much the same as a hologram. That is the simplest way to think about it. The only difference is that this one is powered by magic. "
"I understand what you're saying." Harper couldn't believe how easy it was to speak with the Queen; it was nothing like she had imagined. But then again, she hadn't expected to be having a conversation with her at all. "Gwinifer informed me that you paid her a visit in her dream. That you wanted to speak with me."
"You're correct. Although I would have wanted to do this personally, but this is the only way for me to reach you fast.” She paused then her face suddenly turned solemn. “I wanted to say my gratitude and to ask for your forgiveness, Child."
Harper opened her mouth, but it took her a couple of seconds to frame her question. "You want to say thank you and ask for my forgiveness? Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I don't understand."