Lost City

"Or Maybe an Alien"

With a quiet stop, both of us disembark near the waterfall. The spot is hidden in the shadows making it the perfect place to activate our abilities. Luke's steps fall into complete silence and his body disappears completely. His gift as a guardian made him the perfect scout and hidden assassin. Not that he's needed the gift all that much. No one in the family has caught him even without using his ability.

"I'll go on ahead and search the buildings. Keep an eye on the water." Luke says, sounding a little further away. The rings aren't foolproof communication devices and they definitely work the best with eye contact, but they'll work fine here with just the two of us.

"Sounds good." I reply as I pull the hood of my cloak over my head. I don't have a physical ability like Luke, but I still think mine's the sh*t. I'm able to create any disguise needed, and in this case I needed to blend in. I'm not as invisible as Luke, but I'm as d*mn close as I could possibly be. I'll have to be careful how I walk since I can't quiet my steps the way Luke can. "If you find anything call as quick as you can. We need as many eyes on this thing as soon as possible."

I can hear a hum of agreement in my mind and I shake my head. I really hope he doesn't start singing through the connection. I mean I love my brother, but without music he tends to sing off key.

As I walk along the edge of the water I look over the old buildings. Surprisingly they've stayed standing, but I guess that would happen with so few elements to wear them down. The colors of the city have faded though. No longer are the walls red or blue or green. The doors have lost their intricate golden designs. Only browns and grays are left of our once beautiful home.

"Gabe, do you hear that? Something's near the water." Sh*t, I wasn't paying attention. I guess I miss this place more than I thought I did.

I quickly look at the water and notice the deep ripples chasing their way across the surface. I really hope that just one large fish. With a jolt, I walk as quickly and quietly as I possibly can towards the movement.

Scraping against the rough stone echoes through the cave and my stomach sinks at the sound. That definitely doesn't sound like a fish. I slow down the closer I get but freeze as something black and large pulls itself out of the water.

"F*ck! Luke you may be right on the alien. I don't think I've seen anything like this." Well d*mn. Even my mind voice is shaky.

"I'm almost there. What do you see?"

"It's black, I think, but there's these silver things on its back, or maybe its front? No, definitely its back. Oh, sh*t. It's made to swim! it has huge webbed feet. I've never seen feet this long. Luke, I can't tell where its hands are. I see two arms, but something is blinking and then their connected at the end. Dude, I have no idea what this is." I slide into one of the abandoned doorways to continue watching the monster. I mean it has to be a monster if it looks like that.

"Is that one eye? I don't think we've been on a planet where they didn't look human. Ouch! Sh*t! Gabe it has a light. Be careful, it's pretty bright."

I nod my head even though I know he can't see me. "Luke this is some creepy sh*t. Like I think it may be worse than those things the Terran's called spiders."

"Shh.. I think its talking to something. Another point to it being an alien. I can't understand it."

"Luke..." I will swear to my dying day that my voice didn't raise in pitch. Honestly, I'm not that scared. And there isn't a tightness in my chest, honestly. "Luke! It's taking its head off! F*ck, Luke we shouldn't be here. I can't take on an alien. I mean I know we are guardians, but I'm not an assassin like you. I'm not even super smart like Kota and I don't have gadgets like Vic. Luke, we should go back and tell them that Terra has been tak-"

"Gabe! Calm down. It's a girl." Luke breaks through my incoming panic attack with his last three words. "See look, I was still right. She's beautiful too."

"Oh G*ds, her hair. Even while wet its gorgeous." I watch as her blonde hair falls from her black outfit. I'm not sure what she's wearing, but it makes her legs go on for miles. She shakes her hair loose and runs a hand through it before talking into her mask again. "Oh, she's speaking again. Can you understand her now that her freaky mask is off?"

"No, but I'm going to get closer to see if I can catch any to record for Vic. He might be able to make translation crystals."

"Okay, just don't get to close. We don't want her noticing us." I say, my brows creasing with worry. He may be good, but all it takes is one mistake and we lose our home again.

"Don't worry, it's me you're talking about." I can just hear the smirk in his voice.

"That's what I'm worried about, f*cker." I tease back and some of the tension leaves my shoulders. He's right, there's no reason to panic. Luke is good at his job.

Now that my panic has worked its way through me I can't figure out how I thought she was an alien. I mean yeah the huge tubes on her back were kind of threatening and that mask was kind of freaky, but she's shaped like a human. A very small human, but still.

I watch as she pulls off a vest and places it next to the fish shaped thing. It reminds me of a squid actually. I wonder why. When she stands back up I feel my mouth run dry. F*ck this girl is hot. D*mn I wish she was Atlantean.

"Phil you aren't going to believe this. Well maybe you can, but you have to get down here." She's still holding her mask and speaking into it. I'm guessing it's like our rings, but it can be heard over distances. It'd kind of suck though to carry that ugly thing around all the time just to speak with someone.

"Did you catch what she said? I haven't gotten close enough." Luke's voice startles me out of my study of this girl and I jump. She really is distracting. She glances my way but I'm certain she couldn't have heard me. I didn't make a sound.

"Yeah, I caught it. How much longer did you want to stay? We've found out who entered, we should probably report." I know that's what we should do, but I really want to watch her a some more. She moves like music, and I need to hear the end of her song.

There's a long pause before Luke speaks again "I kind of want to watch her until she leaves, just to make sure she isn't a threat." I can hear the excuse in his voice the same way I feel it in my chest. She isn't a threat. Not to this city. But d*mn if she isn't causing trouble already.

*****

Hey!

So this chapter was so so much fun to write! I have half a chapter for Upload Complete done then Driven is getting a new chapter. Thanks everyone for being patient with me. You all are awesome!

Till next time,

BijinMum.