Dear readers, tonight we bring you the transcript of a live interview with two characters from a fantasy world not our own. They are here to talk about an attack from an ancient god, a government determined to cover it up, and a heartbroken elfan maiden certain to find answers, as they embark on a journey of mystery, terror, strange magic, and cosmic powers.

Host: Good afternoon Kamille and Ayela- or should we call you Tsana [Teh-Shaun-uh]?

Ayela: No, please; Ayela is fine. It’s the name I’ve always answered to and known.

Host: Very well, then, Ayela- I have to say, you have a lovely accent! Where did you say you came from again?

Ayela: Well, I was born in a country called Songriveii on my world, but when I was just a baby, I was kidnapped and taken to an orphanage. I don’t really know who did it or why, but that’s how I ended up in the northern part of the Empire of Enthedrill. My accent comes from there.

Host: Gotcha! On earth, we have a country called France. Your accent seounds very similar to that- anyways, I’m getting off track. Welcome to Protagonist Speaks, where we sit down with the very people at the center of stories all across the vast universes of- well, of reality! We prepare a list of questions so our audiences can get to know you better!

Ayela: It’s a pleasure to be here- also, how did you manage to get that portal open to get us here-

Host: That’s not important- anyways, I’m joined here with Ayela Rhexa, a beautiful crimson-haired elvish woman from the world of Thaerv, and her best friend, Kamille Lameen, another gorgeous Korokian elf from the same world! They’ve been through so much as members of the secretive hacktivist group called ‘The Darklings’-

Kamille: Let’s not start announcing-

Host: daring to battle the third-rail capitalist regime that set their world ablaze in war; the Empire of Enthedrill. And even more: they’re doing so without spilling a drop of elvish blood-

Ayela: there’s no need to share our methods-

Host: Let’s give them a warm round of applause!

Crowd: [Applause]

Host: Now, before we begin, I know there are concerns about the things you answer being aired on television in your world. I want to reassure you that we do not have connections to any of the worlds we retrieve guests from. The only television networks we broadcast on are the ones here in our own universe on earth. You can rest assured your confidentiality will be utterly honored.

Kamille: I have so many bloody questions.

Host: And so do we! Kamille, I hear an accent in your voice as well, though a bit more British. Are you not from the same area where Ayela gew up?

Kamille: No, actually. I was born in eastern Enthedrill, in a city called D’Vnora [Div-Nor-Uh]. My family and I lived in the lower half of the hold, called the undercity. It’s rife with poverty and racism, and for elves of color like myself, law enforcement painted targets on our backs. Most of my family was slaughtered in a raid by the police.

Host: That’s… That’s horrible! I can’t imagine going through something like that! Is that why you joined the Darklings?

Kamille: We don’t join, per say. We’re recruited, and from there we can accept or decline. Our leader, a figure dubbed Ruat, has a way of getting a hold of us and letting us know that we’re in, and then we’re told who to talk to from there. The only one who came to us differently was Ayela, here.

Ayela: Yes, I was given a message that told me I was the last, and I went straight to Kamille without any prompting to do so.

Host: Fascinating. We’ll get back to all of that, but before we do, I want to touch a bit more on your upbringings. Ayela, let’s start with you. I know you explained you were orphaned, but let’s get a bit more into the details. From our intial interview, you explained that no one adopted you. You had to learn and study on your own, and when you were sixteen, after you graduated from primary, you applied for citizenship into Enthedrill, using the orphanage’s owner’s surname as your own?

Ayela: Yes. I watched most of the kids I grew up with get picked by families, but they were all ‘ivory elves,’ so they had a much easier time than I did.

Host: Ivory elves?

Ayela: Elves that look like you. Pale skin, gold or brown hair, blue or green eyes. I’m a Songrivan elf. Our country’s royal family is rumored to be a pure bloodline, meaning they’re inbred, so anyone with red hair, freckles, and purple eyes like mine are overlooked. They call us ‘blood elves’ as an insult.

Host: But your race isn’t the only reason you were overlooked, is it?

Ayela: …No, it’s not. I’m also something called a divine logician. I was born with telekinetic, telepathic, and reality warping abilities, and growing up, I struggled to control them when I had emotional outbursts. The Orphanage’s owner was the only one who looked after me, and he put me in dance classes at a young age.

Host: And when you got your citizenship, you had already learned three cultural arts of dancing?

Ayela: Correct. I also took on martial arts classes from a few different cultures, and advanced pretty far in those styles. All of this, of course, was to hone and control my powers.

Host: That’s a pretty tough childhood, too, Ayela. Kamille, I want to turn to you, now. You’re a hacktivist, but have you always been that way?

Kamille: Actually, my passion for computer science started after the attack that killed my family. I wanted to get to the truth, so I worked my arse off and paid for courses at a community university. Once I got good at cybersecurity and hacking, I got into the D’Vnora network and managed to uncover the truth of why they launched the attack. They were trying to start a conflict that would get us all to turn on each other, and when we got out of hand, they were going to use it as a reason to get imperial support in demolishing the undercity and imprisoning us all. That exposure got the attention of the Darklings, which got me recruited.

Host: And you got involved with a pretty intense, widespread network of rebels in the country, right?

Kamille: Sure did.

Host: Well, it sounds like you’re doing really good work for the marginalized people of the empire. But I want to focus in now on some things that are a little more personal… A little more… Sexy. Ayela-

Ayela: Please, I’d rather not. My relationships ended in tragedy.

Host: I understand, but if you’d please just share the good stuff about your relationships. Our viewers would understand if you want to avoid the parts leading up to how they ended.

Ayela: [a visible expression of sadness] I… I guess I could talk about them… It’s going to be hard for me, so please bear with me.

Host: Of course.

Ayela: …I’ve had a few partners before, but there were two that really made an impact. The first was a boy named Gean. He was an ivory elf that treated me like I was a princess- before I found out that I actually am one, of course. He was… Smart. A deep thinker. He was horrible at jokes and reading the room, but it was something we all adored about him. He was really sweet with me, something no one else got to see. He wasn’t the best at flirting, but he was such a sappy romantic.

The other was a girl named Rhaja. She was a dwarf from a country called Durinveii, and she spent years with me, helping me heal and recover after Gean’s death. She was super smart, too, and really witty. She could control governments with her charm if she was allowed to. She never let the homophobia or xenophobia in Enthedrill bother her, either. Our relationship was beautiful… She died the same way Gean did.

Host: A dwarf, you said? Our world has myths about dwarves; usually short people that live in mountains and dig up gems.

Ayela: No, no, nothing like that. Dwarves on Thaerv are still elves, much like Songrivan elves, ebony elves, and ivory elves. They’re usually caramel-toned, and have red or orange eyes. They’re native to Durinveii.

Host: Interesting. They sound like really lovely people… I won’t press for any more details if you’re uncomfortable with it.

Ayela: Thank you.

Host: Of course! Kamille, let’s turn to you. Who’s the lucky guy that gets to call you ‘babe?’

Kamille: [blushing] His name is Thillan Otash. We’ve been dating for ten years, and he’s a darkling with me. We work hard, and spend a lot of time apart, which is hard, but we always make an effort to spend time together when we’re not working. He’s a sarcastic, do-first-think-later type, and he’s got a heart of gold. Him and our close friend Asher are always getting into some kind of trouble, but I think that’s one of the sexiest things about him.

Host: Oh, a bad boy, eh?

Kamille: You could say that. He’s a fighter, and even though we don’t kill anyone, he’s beaten the hell out of people before. It sounds odd, but it makes me feel safe with him. Like, I know no one can hurt me when he’s around. He’s really gentle with me, and having a similar past to mine and being an elf of color, he relates to me in ways not many men have.

Host: That’s so sweet… Ayela, I just have one more question for you in the subject of romance… Do you think there’s a chance you’ll ever open up again?

Ayela: …You know, it’s odd you pulled us here at the time you did. You’re not the first humans we’ve met.

Host: Oh?

Ayela: There’s a few humans we got involved with, and… Well, the man, Jack Owens… I had dreams about him… And I don’t know for sure if they’re good or bad, but I definitely have feelings for him.

Host: How exciting! We’ll get back to that in a little while, but now I want to get into things that you ladies like to do when you’re not off saving the world from emperors and gods. Ayela, tell me about some of your favorite hobbies!

Ayela: Well… I haven’t had much time for hobbies, but I’m really into movies, books, and traveling. I also like visiting local diners and restaurants.

Host: Movies, books, traveling, and diners! What are some of your favorites?

Ayela: [chuckling] well, I read a lot of fiction. I like science fiction and horror books. One of my favorite authors is Heshna A. Rathala, a queer dwarvish author that writes queer horror. She’s got some really good books out. My top recommend would be “Asleep in Gui’Hennot,” which is a story about these two men in a relationship who get trapped in the city of Gui’Hennot- a place from ancient Thaervan mythology, which is pretty much Hell- and how they escape it while staying sane.

For movies, I really like romantic comedies and superhero movies. My favorite is this romcom show about an ebony elf who’s growing up in Bavylune- the capital city of the empire- and how she fell in love with a dwarvish boy who goes to the same school.

And diners, there’s this one place in Ih’Dejj [E-Dej] that makes the sweetest Enthedrillan flatcakes in the entire country. They’re pretty famous for it.

Host: So exciting! And you, Kamille?

Kamille: I’m actually more of a gamer. I play a lot of online video games when I have the time. I go to see some superhero movies with Ayela, or watch some animated shows with Thillan, but we mostly game together. I’m not big on restaurants, but if it has deep-dish Klavva, I’ll tag along.

Host: What’s Klavva?

Kamille: It’s this dish where you make flatbread in a circle shape, pour some red sauce on it with cheese and meat, and then let it bake. Literally every country has their own style of it.

Host: Oh! We call that pizza on earth. But anyway, moving on because we’re coming up on time, I just have a few more questions to bring us back into what’s going on in your world. Ayela, you were given a haunting last message before your induction into the darklings. You were told you were the last. This came after a powerful encounter with a dark witch called [redacted], who turned out to be the leader of an ancient cult that was controlling the empire behind the scenes. How did you uncover [redacted], and was that the reason you were inducted into the darklings?

Ayela: That whole story was, well, exactly the reason, yes. It happened just after Rhaja died. Our town was attacked by an aethril- a god- and she didn’t survive. It was because of that I went looking for answers. When I found out the truth, I almost killed the one who killed her… I’ve hated her for so long… But in the end, I learned to let go of that hatred.

Kamille: [looks down in shame]

Host: Kamille, is everything alright?

Kamille: Yeah… Well, it’s just… We were planning to break our first rule and make an exception for [redacted]; we were going to kill her. Ayela opposed it from the start, and when we didn’t listen, she tried to save her. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why, but she did. It didn’t matter, because a desert wurm ended up swallowing [redacted]. That whole fight… At the end of it all, we ended up where we are now- trying to help these humans who somehow stumbled onto our world get one of their own back from the empire.

Host: Wow… There’s a lot to unpack there, but I think myself and our viewers would say it’s understandable that you wanted to put an end to [redacted], considering all she was trying to do with your world and universe. Summoning Kurth’Amon? Trying to destroy everything so she could have a part in the remade world? It’s crazy!

Ayela: Yeah… Listen, I know you’re just trying to get the scoop of that part of our lives, but there’s a lot of trauma there. Can we talk about something else?

Host: Yes, yes, of course! I’m so sorry for making you relive those experiences. Our audience has a deeper appreciation for your lives, and we’re all very sympathetic to your pain. Let’s get a little more current with the times. What did you first think of humans when you met them?

Ayela: Odd.

Kamille: Fascinating.

Host: There’s a mixed response! Ayela, what was so odd about them?

Ayela: They have this… Aura about them. It’s… Alive. More alive than in elves. Jack has this nature about him that’s a lot like Thillan, but he’s more cold. Calculating. He’s in a lot of pain and under a lot of stress, that’s for sure. In a lot of ways, though, he reminds me of Rhaja. If she were a boy, I think she’d have been Jack.

Kamille: That aura is exactly what I find so fascinating about them. They have this resiliance. They’re in a strange world with technology they’ve never even dreamed of before, and they’re determined to keep moving forward. They’re assaulted by the empire, hunted like animals, but they still keep going. Hell, they even leapt in to fend off an aethril when there was nothing they could do. They don’t have powers, no special talents elves don’t have, but they still jumped in to fight.

Host: I can say from experience at being a human that we do indeed have a unique drive within us to fight against oppression and terror. Now that they’re in your lives, what are you doing currently?

Kamille: We’re trying to get their third human back, obviously, but they inspired us to come together as a faction. We’ve been searching for the darkling founder, Ruat. And once we find them, we’re going to partner with the militant rebels called the Majjai and come up with a plan to cripple the empire from within. The humans are key to this.

Host: Do you think it’ll work?

Ayela: Well, the moment you plucked us from, we had them all together, but Jack’s girlfriend is in imminent danger, so once we rescue her, we can… We can figure out our next step there.

Host: You hesitated. Is it because you just found out you’re the lost princess of your home country?

Ayela: Yes… But that doesn’t matter. What matters now is getting Jack’s girlfriend out of danger.

Host: …And if you can’t?

Kamille: Then we’ll pivot, and come up with another plan.

Host: Well, we wish you nothing but the best in your journeys moving forward! One final question, though, for the audience… What is a deep secret you’ve never told anyone else?

Ayela: [with a smirk] …For me, it’d be that I’ve seen the Creator-God…

Kamille: [expression of shock] While I don’t believe in gods, that’s certainly bigger than what I’ve got. I lost my virginity to Thillan.

Host [chuckling nervously] Well, that’s certainly a set of secrets! Thank you both so much for joining us in Protagonist Speaks! We wish you good luck in your journeys, and we look forward to seeing how you both end up saving your world!

Ayela and Kamille: Thank you. It was a pleasure.

Host: Until next time, viewers, and be sure to tune in to their latest adventure in the Poem of Thaerv, Line 1: World of Mirage, where they’re currently trying to save the life of the young human maiden, Evelyn McOwens-

Ayela: What-

Host: and we will catch you on the next interview, where the Protagonist speaks!

Zachael T.J. Presgrove is an American author born in 1991 who comes from a strict religious background, and has since in his adulthood broken away from those traditions to carve out an identity and life that’s true to himself as a queer author. He studied at a religious school, and has been fascinated by the supernatural and different religious views since he was a teenager. He has always loved fantasy, scifi, and horror, and has dreamed of being a writer since he was a child. Book 1, the Kult of Salom’Sileyu, came around the time he and his wife departed their religious upbringings, and he began to discover his identity and what he truly believed. It’s a blended scifi-fantasy story of loss and heartache, rising up against the powers of religious institutions through the metaphors of cults, gods, and magic, and being comfortable with his own sexuality by writing a bisexual MC who lives her life on a journey of healing and self-discovery. Most of all, it’s a story of grim hope in the face of self-destruction and despair.

You can find Ayela and Kamille on the pages of The Kult of Salom’Sileyum.

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