Fenfeld races manically across the open plains. Tall, dry grasses whip at the simian's legs and triplicate upper appendages. The open sides of his leather jacket flap wildly in the wind, exposing his broad hairy chest. He glances over his left shoulder, waving enthusiastically to Nyraxi and the rest of his straggling crew.

  "Come on, slowpokes. Come on. Don't stop running. Those robot spider bastards are gaining on us. Come on! Let's go, Jemblevre. I thought you Devvir Cats were supposed to be fast?"

  "Shut up, Fenfeld!" Keltikin Jinn says, materializing beside the ape nuisance. "You're not helping anyone with your obnoxious shouting."

  "Don't know about that, Jinn Man," Fenfeld argues, looking back again. "Sure, I am! I think Jemblevre picked up a whole mile per hour after I insulted him. Look at him go now."

  "Shut up, Fenfeld!" Nyraxi hollers, gaining on the smarmy ape. "Just shut up! You're the reason those...Spider bastards found us in the first place. It was all your stupid yelling."

  "How do you know that, Horse Girl?!? Those spider bastards probably had us tagged all along."

  "It's always your yelling, Fenfeld," Jemblevre interrupts. "No matter which world we visit... Something bad always happens whenever you're with us. You just don't know when to shut up!"

  "Ha. Fine. So, it's my fault? Right," Fenfeld complains, waving at least three of his arms in exasperation.

  "It is!" all remaining members of the landing party say in unison.

  "Ha. At least this team can agree on something for once," Fenfeld angrily pouts.

  -

  -

  The cavern

  Captain Hilyard races through the cavern, away from the girgogh queen and her summoned horde of girgogh siblings. Illusion Lilchta hurries alongside her. At one point, he grabs her left hand and pulls her along faster.

  "Hurry. The exit to the antechamber is very close. Hurry, hurry," Lilchta exclaims in a strained voice.

  "I'm hurrying. I'm hurrying," Aurelia says breathlessly. "I can't hurry any faster."

  The exit looms closer and Lilchta grins like a crazed fool. He tugs harder on Aurelia's hand, noting the closeness of metal feet scraping the floor, walls and ceiling.

  "Good. Good. We're practically there. All we need to do is..."

  The leg of a giant girgogh stabs into the cave exit in front of them. Imaginary Zifawid Lilchta pulls Aurelia back just in time to keep her from being skewered.

  "Oops!" Lilchta says, confusion on his features. "Didn't see him. Sorry."

  "Didn't see him? What do you mean you didn't see him? Your real self should be out there in that corridor."

  "He is. I mean...I am. But I was kind of hiding."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Hiding? Why?" Aurelia inquires, looking over her shoulder at the creeping horde of robotic spiders behind them.

  "Because...I was forced to drop my spell of invisibility to aid you inside the chamber," Image Lilchta reluctantly admits. "Your friends also needed my help. But I was forced to drop the spell of protection over them once they began running here, there, and everywhere. Don't worry, we are both protected now. Go up against the wall...On the right...And let the girgogh sentinels pass through the chamber entrance. They are truly mindless beings. They believe you have escaped and will follow the path they think you have taken. Hurry, Aurelia. Against the wall."

  Aurelia does as commanded. To her somewhat surprise, Lilchta uses his body as a shield between her and the approaching girgogh horde. Captain Hilyard stares up into his wide gray-blue eyes, fascinated by the strange swirls contained within them. Were those always there? Imaginary Lilchta offers Aurelia a coy wink.

  "Just in case," he whispers in her head.

  As expected, the herd of metallic robot spiders scrambles past their position. Aurelia nearly shrieks as a smaller girgogh scrambles diagonally on the wall, coming very near her. It banks straight for her head. To her surprise, the robotic creature appears to walk through her--rather than on her. There is a sensation of cold tingling which radiates along her affected appendage down through her upper torso. The Captain's body shivers slightly and she issues an almost inaudible sigh. Zifawid Lilchta's right arm enfolds her waist and Aurelia stares harder into his strange eyes.

  "Don't be afraid," Lilchta says. "They cannot hear, see, or feel you. There is nothing to fear."

  Aurelia simply nods, too confused to dare speaking a single word. What is going on? She came here to wipe this alien traitor and his army of murdering followers from the face of the universe. Or, that was the original plan. Is she actually believing his wild story about being a prisoner and fighting his way to supremacy? He is obviously very powerful. Maybe just as powerful as Mr. Yoth had been in his prime. As Mr. Yoth surely is to this day.

  Many are fooled by the calm, almost human, exterior Mr. Yoth projects on a regular basis. However, she has seen the renowned Cthulhu sorcerer in action. Mr. Yoth's fury is only tempered by the regulations and expectations set upon his kind during the Cthulhu Accords. However, there are times when even signed treaties prove to be nothing more than useless paper. During one such time, a young Aurelia watched as Mr. Yoth strangled the lifeforce from an invading enemy--with simply a wave of his tentacle--from more than fifteen feet away.

  Is Zifawid Lilchta up to the same covert game? Is this some weird ploy to gain access to the Nebulus and her crew? What is Zifawid Lilchta up to?

  "I am up to nothing," Zifawid Lilchta says, a wistful smile on his face.

  Aurelia's mouth falls partially open in surprise. How could she have forgotten that the Cthulhu cousin could read her mind. In fact, the very idea that he is standing here--holding her in his arms; protecting her--is a figment of her imagination. The real Zifawid Lilchta is somewhere out there in the dark cavern corridor. This Lilchta isn't real. He is in her mind. Isn't he?

  Lilchta's smile grows wider and he leans in close. Pressing his mouth to Aurelia's, he kisses her passionately. Aurelia finds herself swooning in his arms, her heartbeat increasing almost tenfold. How can a figment of your imagination feel this good?

  Wispyri, the spider queen scrambles past as Lilchta and Aurelia finally end their passionate lip lock. Aurelia blinks several times, disbelief at her current situation, crowding out most of the thoughts in her head.

  "Do you still doubt me, Aurelia?" Lilchta asks in a soft soothing voice. "Can you not sense the emotions I feel for you?"

  "I uh...I certainly sense...Uh, something," Aurelia says in a shaking voice. "Although, I'll have to get back to you about what that something actually is."

  Zifawid Lilchta's smile grows wider and he takes Aurelia's left hand in his own.

  "We must go. But first, there is something I need."

  Zifawid Lilchta's mental double closes both eyes and motions in the air with his hands and tentacles. As Aurelia watches, one tentacle writhes in the air like a moving snake. Before long, the sound of slithering reaches Aurelia's ear. The creature known as a ziz-zee-zee approaches slowly on the ground, slithering around imaginary Lilchta's legs and exiting the chamber. Aurelia glances questioningly at her Cthulhu companion.

  "What do we need that thing for?"

  "A distraction," Lilchta says with confidence. "So I do not have to focus all of my energy on either one thing or the other. Uiowky hates the ziz-zee-zee. He will keep his distance. Come on. Let's go."

  Cthulhu Accords.

  Ex: Cthulhu Yoth= his given name is actually Yoth. As leader, the house is named for him. He is very old/ancient. Once he passes, or chooses an heir to succeed him while he lives, they will take his given name to continue the honor. As he took his father's name.

  The Cthulhu Accords refers to a treaty between all other humanoids and the Cthulhu Clans of his dimension. The treaty was necessary after a special forces mission into the aforementioned dimension which nearly ended in disaster...For the humans.