I walked back toward my house after I gathered the bark juice for Shahrae. She loved it since we were little. She was never fond of fruit wine ever since she had a taste of it. Maybe because another reason was that she just blacked out after she had a glass of it. I could only chuckle when I remembered that instance. It was on her sixteenth birthday at the time. Poor Shahrae.
From where I was, right in front of the forest, I could see the houses in pyramid style that lined up perfectly. Maybe there were a couple of hundred meters away from each other. The sun was already up high and the land was full of busy, bustling people doing their respective jobs.
Flying public transportations could be seen on the horizon in all four directions. Their centermost of destination was somewhere near the Aryan palace, where the King lives. The transportations were mainly oval in shape, with the average dimension of twenty meters in length by ten meters in width and by ten meters in height. They were all in two colors. Black on the upper part and blue on the lower part of the vehicles, which we called recula. They were all for free and had loading and unloading stations at specific points at each tribe locations, except in the north where the rebels are.
I passed by the farmers who were busy with their own thing. A kunijoh was in my hand. I was told by my father once that the only difference of kunijoh from the so-called Earth’s rabbit was it has only one ear but not as large. A jar of bark juice was held in the other hand.
I smiled at Zelian, a hot spice plant grower. He was of middle age, still well-built, and more agile than any average Aryan with forty-eight chromosomes. He was also considered as one of the good fighters in our tribe. However, I was considered the best as no one had ever defeated me yet. That was why my people gave me the privilege to teach the younger ones how to fight at duskside.
“Good catch today as usual, eh?” he commented, glancing at the purple kunijoh in my hand.
I raised it with a smile on my face. “Yes, Zelian!”
“Xerra, come to our house tomorrow night. There’s a wedding party! Bring Shahrae along!” I heard Oleifa’s voice in the midst of the throng of people going to and fro.
I looked over my shoulder and saw her fat being. I couldn’t possibly miss her. She was one of those unique Aryans who had a fat body. It wasn’t because she ate a lot of food just like people do on Earth, according to my father, but she often willed that she’d look that way so that she’d be distinguished more easily. Usually, Aryans willed to make themselves unique in appearance. That is why most Aryans were good-looking.
“Sure! She’d be delighted to come. Thank you for the invitation, Oleifa!” I smiled and waved the kunijoh at her.
She smiled warmly, waved back, and went on her way to the market. I caught sight of her boarding on an oval vehicle that didn’t touch the ground, unlike the ones I heard stories from my Arcturian father. I wondered how people on the planet Earth, which was a third-dimensional world, would look and live like.
My father once described that they more or less looked like us, called humanoid form, but they didn’t have powers like any average Aryans do. Aryans are naturally strong, intelligent, and agile beings. However, on my part, I am half Aryan and most of my powers are inherited from my seventh-dimensional Arcturian father.
We Aryans only eat once or twice a day, but humans are said to eat more than three times a day. On the other hand, my father, who is a very powerful being, doesn’t need any meal! I can’t even imagine how these so-called Earthlings could eat a lot of food and how they spent their energy with it when they weren’t powerful at all!
“What have you got me, Xerra? Bark juice?” Shahrae was excited when she opened the wooden door for me. She would always feel my presence whenever I was right outside our door.
“You already know what you love. That’s what I’m bringing you from my early morning excursions every day!” I grinned at her and kissed her warm and soft cheek.
“Oh, thank you very much, Xerra! As always, you are such a sweet and thoughtful sister!” she said happily as she took the jar from my hand.
I went in and cleaned the kunijoh with my telekinetic powers while I sat with my ankles crossed on the table.
Shahrae gave me a disgusted look. “Take your feet off the table!”
Sure, she was gentle but she could act like a mother to a kid whenever she wanted to. And that was how she was treating me once in a while even though I was older than her.
I put down my feet on the magenta marble floor, which was typically Aryan.
“That’s what you do when you are in deep thought.” She referred to my habit of crossing my ankles and putting them on the table.
Well, that was very observant of her. She was indeed my sister.
“You’re right, Shahrae. It’s because we met someone in the forest earlier today,” Ponpon revealed her before I could even speak.
I glanced at Ponpon on my thigh then looked at my sister.
“Ignore what he said, Shahrae,” I calmly said. “I met Oleifa by the way. She invited us to the wedding party at her house.” I smiled at my sister.
Her face lit up at the prospect of attending such an occasion—a wedding party. It meant a lot to her. She loved weddings! She’d been looking for a mate since three years ago. But she hadn’t liked anyone yet in our tribe. Perhaps tomorrow, she’d meet someone that could be considered unique in her standards, which were a puzzle to me as there were no rich and poor in the Aiglean land.
“I should make a unique dress for the party tomorrow then. Or, can you do that for me, Xerra?” she pleaded me with her cute eyes.
I smiled at her. She often exploited my telekinetic powers. And that was every single day! However, I didn’t mind. I loved my sister very much as I loved our mother.
I got up from the white marble chair and put my hands over my waist. I surveyed her being and I decided what she’d look more beautiful in. I pictured it already in my mind. Long, fitting blue gown, embedded with fresh flowers of different colors, sprinkled with diamonds to glitter in the evening lights and a tiara would do justice to her beautiful face.
“Alright, I already have something in mind for you. I’ll get on it as soon as possible, dear sister,” I informed her with a big smile.
“And I think you need a new dress, too. Who knows if we’re going to meet that stranger you just met in the forest tomorrow evening?” And she winked at me before she turned her back to cool her drink in a machine we called Bunawan, which wasn’t its sole function.
Bunawan is a machine that is taller than me with some drawer-like divisions with complicated things inside for different purposes like washing or drying clothes, dishes, and others. It also preserves some food, drinks, medical supplies, and others. Moreover, it serves as the keeper of house words, meaning that it records everything that was said and done inside the house—and no one else could retrieve the recorded data except for the owners of the house.
My mind went back to what my sister said. Meet that stranger again?
I snorted as I pictured him once again in my head. That would not happen in a million years, would it?
The forest was quiet when I got there. I suddenly felt danger coming. I twisted my body sideways and saw a knife hit a green tree. It vibrated when it connected there. I looked in the north side when lasers followed to assault me.“Yetti!” I cursed in Aryan language while I dodged and rolled over to take cover. My back was pressed against the blue tree. I looked up when the tree creaked and groaned. It broke and I rolled to the next one to not get hit when it fell.I peered at the direction the lasers came from. ‘Who are these Aryans? Why are they attacking me?’ I ground my teeth as I took Ponpon out.“This is not good,” he said.“You’re just telling me that now?” I hissed. He was quiet this entire time.“Those are definitely not Aigleans,” he observed. His red eyes were rolling in alert mode. “Your east!” he screamed.I just barely glanced and I dove and rolled towards south, evading the white laser that was going to incinerate me. My heart was a
I dressed up just like my sister wanted me to. It was a simple lavender gown with embedded stones and jewels that could only be found in the Aiglean land. My high-heeled shoes shined because of the jewels that were embedded on them as well. They glittered whenever the light touched them. I did look good for a change, compared to my usual attire.My sister, on the other hand, looked like a princess in her gown tonight. Her hair was caught in a high bun, with curly strands that were left hanging, which framed her beautiful face. It was even more pronounced by the dark makeup she had on, which she did on her own. She was pretty adept on that department, unlike me. She made every Aryan turn his or her head in her direction just to admire her beauty as we walked on. We trudged side by side and were greeted by our fellow guests. There were already the familiar and unfamiliar faces present there. But it was noticeable that there were more unfamiliar faces that stared at us, es
“Oh, who’s there? Who’s there?” Ponpon asked but I didn’t answer. I could feel though that his head wriggled at the handle of my poniard.It was that stranger from the forest alright. My sister seemed to be right with her foresight lately, I supposed. I acted calm and normal, trying not to think what he had done to me in the forest early this morning. I turned my head to look in front of me and nonchalantly drank the fruit wine that was in the glass I held in one hand. It was a gesture that I was ignoring him—if he got what I mean. I did not want to linger or analyze why I feel something whenever he is around. I did not want to read something between the lines… er… in his eyes, rather. I did not want to feel anything at all, especially for this strange Aryan.But it didn’t seem to get what I wanted to relay to him. He sauntered closer to me, and he sat down just beside me on the bench, looking up at the lights above us. I stole a glance at him. There was a
Daraton was following fast on his heels, trying to say something with urgency in a low tone, which I couldn’t hear.I looked down at my lap and took the flower with my free hand. The beautiful and rare flower looked like jelly but it was as hard as plastic. I only heard some things about this rare flower from my fellow Aigleans. It was the first time thought that I got to touch it and peruse it in person. The flower was indeed a wonder.I smelled its sweet scent with a smile, thinking about the stranger.Oh, why, oh, why? Why couldn’t I shake him off my thought? We only met twice but he left me such a deep impression, which was entirely bugging me.‘He knows me. But I don’t know him.’Aside from being the only half-breed on this planet, who everybody must have known me by reputation and name, he seemed to really know me. Personally. That was odd. Who could have told him about me if he was from the north?“Oh, you got yourself an admirer, I see.” O
I went back home after my early morning excursion and found my yawning sister at the kitchen. I placed down the jar of bark juice on the table carefully.“It was quite a long night. It was so nice!” she said dreamily. Her smile was from ear to ear. It was kind of different, which I immediately noticed.“Right. You came in late,” I pointed out to her gently. She told me to go ahead because she wanted to stay longer at the wedding party, so I let her. I was exhausted, that’s why. Well, not physically but more on mentally speaking.‘It was because of that stranger who gave me a guabula!’“Yes, you were so rude. You left me at Oleifa’s!” She turned round to face me, with accusation in her beautiful green eyes. She wasn’t at all dismayed but rather enjoyed her freedom.I rolled my eyes upward. “You said I can go ahead, so I left!” I sat down in the chair and crossed one foot over the other. I put down Ponpon on the table and rested my elbows on the armchair.
Today, just like any ordinary day, I would help the farmers plant or harvest. So, I walked toward the farm, passing by our neighbors and our supply areas. The supply areas were where the food and drinks were stocked for the whole tribe. Whoever ran out of stocks at home, they could just get them from here. Everything was free to get anything they needed. Some may hoard some food and drinks, but it was not a crime, since we had everything we need and everything was abundant. Anyway, everyone helped out to make some food and drinks for everyone, so it was like we all earned everything we got from the supply areas.I nodded at some neighbors I met and passed by. They were nice beings. I was glad I was born to this tribe since they embraced me like their own, even though I was only half-breed.I looked up at the beautiful sky. The temperature was great. The sun wouldn’t usually burn our skin. It was always good for us and the plants and everything. Nonetheless, rain was rare
The man who answered was unknown to me. He was dressed in an elite warrior suit of black and blue. His long sword was hanging on his side. I didn’t let down my guard though. I was still holding Ponpon, ready to pounce just in case. Even though he was no threat, I could not just let my guard down. What if the King sent him to kill me after he killed my mother? Well, I know that I only suspected the King for my mother’s demise. However, I could not just put it to rest that he did not let her children know she was ill at the time. We could have done something. Or we could have been beside her when she was suffering, made her at least comfortable. I had no idea if he did everything he could for our mother then. That is why I so hate the King to the point that I suspect him for killing my mother.“Oh, Luick! What are you doing there?” I heard Zelian’s deep voice behind me. I whirled around to look at him. He knew this elite warrior?“Luick?” I echoed and
I swallowed hard. I did not want to accept my father’s words. But I knew that I had to, whether I liked it or not. The stranger’s face unexpectedly appeared in my reverie all of a sudden. My brows furrowed. It was because my father could see him in my thoughts, too. Everything from reality to my deepest dreams and desires, my father could see it. Nothing could be hidden from him. And I wasn’t wrong. My father smiled knowingly at me. His blue lips were torn from ear to ear. He was giving me that teasing look now, which made my cheeks go red.“Now, that unique being is quite interesting, my daughter,” he remarked.“Oh, Father! He just annoys me…” I frowned at him. Frustration was written all over my face.“You’re still in self-denial but I understand.” He smiled at me knowingly, still. I hated that smile of his. I couldn’t wipe it off from his face!Yes, I really I hated it when he does that. It was so unfair! My father knew everything that I didn