Unworldly

1

Jetai knew the language of her people.

She knew it all like the back of her hand, like it was carved into the bark of her skin in between all her stripes. When an Essalonian called out in their own manner, she knew exactly when they meant to call to her. Every one of the calls was different, but she knew who was calling by the screech of their voice, like their tone had reached the top of the planet's highest mountain.

Jetai jumps over a log in the trail, bow in her clutches. Her large footprints in the mud -no matter what- always look like they were hewed. Hewed to perfection, with a careful hand noticing and fixing every imperfect detail.

This was also the way her body was made, according to the tribe.

The Essalonians of Noorka compare her pulchritude to their chieftain's daughter, and Jetai is the winner. They say in the language of the planet, "Jetai could be more beautiful than Dennashi," and they'd continue with their praise as they continue on their work.

Jetai's skin was an ash gray with metal black – it was striped like a zebra on Earth. Her hair was jet black and felt like satin when the palm ran against it, and her eyes were a hickory brown that could not be replaced. No one knew of the two eyes on her stomach, for she hid them underneath her clothing. Like most in her tribe she had two tail-like hocks on the back of her calves, sensitive to sense danger. Her ears are pointed like the others, and her eyes contain five white speckles inside its brown color. Her belly button is in the center of her chest – in between a pair of large breasts – and her feet in the mud only showed three toes. Today Jetai wears a wine red sleeveless shirt that reaches her hips, and it is a slim fit like her tawny capris. She left a single braid in her hair on her right side, symbolizing nothing in particular. Her hair's length is tremendous – especially in her line of work – which reaches past her rear when it is not up in a knot.

Well you see, Jetai is an Essai of the Noorka – the ruling tribe of planet Essen.

To a human on Earth she is alien, but to an Essalonian on Essen she is perfection.

She runs like a cheetah past the trees of the forest, covered in edible vines, and she sprints heavily to the source of her younger sister's call. Her sister Mkorra called her not two minutes earlier, and her calling was in distress.

Jetai finds her sister's body entangled within the wowith vines of a large tree, and her struggling is the only reason Mkorra isn't on the ground yet. She continues to writhe in the many thick vines' grasp, and Jetai stops running to stare at her and sigh.

Mkorra would never become the warrior that father wants. But, Jetai will never become the maiden that their mother wants. Jetai sighs at Mkorra's weakness, and puts her bow over her shoulder to help her sister down. She swiftly pulls her knife out of its sheath on her arm harness, and she uses the tree and the wowith vines to get up over her siblings' struggling frame. Mkorra continues to scream in distress, but Jetai does not speak. She simply starts to slice the vines one by one, until Mkorra has only three vines holding her up. One gives in on her, and Jetai cuts one more vine and watches her younger sister fall due to the other vine breaking. Mkorra gasps once her back hits the ground, and Jetai sighs once more. Mkorra will definitely not get into the Güad. She thinks.

Mkorra blinks as Jetai jumps down at her feet, looking down upon her only sibling. It's a motherly stare, and her eyes look into her sister's like a deadly animal stalking its prey. Mkorra isn't allowed to climb trees without supervision, let alone run off without letting anyone know. Mkorra – thanks to Jetai – should be getting into trouble.

Jetai holds her sister by the back of her neck, walking her back into the tribe. Jetai does not want to be bothered with this, and Mkorra wears a look on her face that says she wishes she wasn't seen in this position.