He turned back to me, "You are probably going to want to hang on." I lurched back against my seat and groped for something, anything to hang on to as the vehicle surged forward. Luckily I had found some sort of handle, because out of nowhere we veered right and then rotated slightly on our side.
"Is this safe?!?" I shouted, "Shouldn't there be some sort of safety and/or restraint methods."
Nombu just laughed. "That kind of thing is only for the Royals and the privileged. Besides, as we get farther into Koohoc, things will get smoother." Just as he finished, the ship leveled out and I crawled up to the front. I looked at him, "What in the world is this Koohoc you keep mentioning, where are we, and where are we going?"
He laughed again. I was really getting tired of that. What was so funny anyway? "Friend, you must really be lost. THIS is Koohoc," he said motioning around us, "and we are headed toward the center, Kevtpo, or the Royal Planet. There it is coming into view now.", He said pointing out the front window. I finally looked outside the ship at my surroundings. Other ships were zooming past us, or extended out on lines towards large, black, floating orbs, Anoon, Nombu called them, much like the one I was trapped in. Different boxes and what looked to be supplies were being loaded from the orbs onto ships.
I noticed other ovular masses floating about also. They almost looked as if they had doors and windows in them. Off to my left I saw a ship extend on a line out to one. As the ship came closer, the door, for it was a door, whipped open and a small purple being rushed out and wrapped its arms around the legs of the person exiting the ship. "Do people live in those?" I asked.
"Yes, those are Apxikn, the homes of the citizens- the ones who really do the work around here." replied Nombu, without realizing that I also caught the last part mumbled under his breath. "Now, as we get closer to the city, do me a favor and stay hidden okay? Most people here do not know that anyone, or thing exists out there besides them. The Royals have taken great care to hide that from us, but I have had a suspicion for quite some time now, and you are just the conformation I needed. The Royals would be none too pleased to see you here, so I'm going to take you somewhere I can trust temporarily while I figure out what to do with you. Like I said, I have had a suspicion for some time, so the Royal servants have been watching me. Normally, I go check the outer storage facilities,"
"The black, floating orbs, like the one I was in?" I cut in.
He nodded and continued, "take this track back to Kevtpo, unload and go home. Occasionally, I stop at Qiv's Apxikn to chat, and I'm about due for another visit. That is closer to Kevtpo than I would like to take you, but it is the safest place for you without them getting suspicious for the time being." As he was talking, I had unconsciously began to sit up straight again. A ship, different than any others I had seen so far, blue swirled with green in color, was just about to pass us. "Get down!" Nombu hissed as he turned to the window placing his two fists together with thumbs sticking outwards and lowered his head slightly. A blue light began flashing on the panel and our ship came to a stop. Nombu began to reach for the door, but not before he whispered harshly, "Just go along with me, try not to be noticed, and follow everyone's instructions. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to look pathetic and terrified." As he undid the hatch, a squat purple man with bird legs stood waiting with two huge purple guards.
"Your Grace! To what do I owe this immense pleasure? You have trained your soldiers so fine, I would think you would be at your quarters in the palace with your feet propped up. I must say I am quite surprised to see the King's," once again he put his two fists together with his thumbs sticking outward and recited the words, "may He live long with grace and intelligence, with bravery and mercy," and then continued addressing the squat man, "right hand man, Napah, out patrolling the lowly Tpaivo. And..."
A nasally voice cut him off. "That is enough, Nombu. You know very well that we have been watching you for some time now, and you finally came through. It will be my pleasure to carry you off to the dungeon." He remarked with snide.
"Your Grace, what have I done to displease you?" said Nombu still trying the innocence and ignorance act. He was portraying the perfect, loyal citizen. "Xenophon, Alcander, move both of these disgusting creatures onto our Eioikn. Now!" He screeched. "Both? It is only me and the supplies on this Tpaivo, your Grace." countered Nombu. "Oh, stop playing dumb! Let's move!"
Luckily for me the guard picked me up so I didn't have to try and explain about my condition, even if it was rather rough. They threw us onto the ship. Nothing else was said as the ship headed towards Kevtpo, the Royal planet, except for a few muttered, "Disgusting, and Despicable" 's muttered under Napah's breath with glares turned my way. Nombu looked worried, but it didn't really faze me. I was pretty much used to that kind of thing. I contented myself with looking out of the windows again.
Everything was just suspended in air, nothing holding it up, like I'd always wanted to be. Yet, I wasn't floating inside the ship. How does that work? I turned to looking inside the ship. This was much nicer than Nombu's. I noticed that Napah, Xenophon, and Alcander were all wearing seat belts. That made me curious. I observed some more. There was what looked to be some type of parachutes thrown in the back and many other safety features that eve I could notice. "Um, excuse me, sir, I - I mean your Grace. Why does this ship have so many safety features while Nombu's had none?"
His head snapped around. "You do not talk unless spoken to you despicable entity! But to answer your question..." he sneered, "why would we protect the useless commoners? People like me are the only ones who really matter! Besides, none of those things even really make a difference. All of the Eioikn have now been equipped with something even better. You see this yellow button here? Yes, well with this button I can disable any Tpaivo that I want. I can even make it fall off the track!" He smiled maliciously. "Why are you so curious? Perhaps you are a spy. Yes, that must be it! Alcander blindfold him." Two large, purple hands reached out towards me and I instinctively flinched. A sad look momentarily flashed behind his eyes, and then his face hardened again. A black cloth covered my face and was tied tightly but gently in the back. Napah harrumphed and faced back toward the front chuckling all the while.
Chapter Two
Start from the beginning
