Lucid Nightmares - Fated Flowers Saga

Ch 31: Strangers from Space

One of the strange people steps forward with blazing neon blue hair before chittering to one behind them. The one they are speaking to simply shrugs.

"What can we do for you, Nefario?" a man with white spiky hair steps out of the crowd. His face shield retracts revealing a sharp-featured face underneath but I notice a slight glimmering of blue of an energy shield.

"Oh, yeah. I was going to..." Orferio sighs, covering half his face with his hand. "Can I get some clothes on first? Come on," he delivers a perfect smile, "it's pretty difficult being diplomatic in my birthday suit."

I smirk as I creep through the bushes. I avoid looking at Orferio but stay close to the scene. These must be the people Orferio's spies said would help us.

One of the people tosses Orferi his clothes but he couldn't catch them in time. The clothes fall into the river with a splash.

"Oops," one snickered.

Orferio's smug mask slips revealing a flash of annoyance. He glares at them as he makes a dramatic show of putting on his clothes. He steps out of the water, soaking wet, and runs his hand through his hair to slick it back. "Nice to see you again, Norman. Where's Cherub?"

He's met them before?

The white-haired man, probably Norman, snarls, "Dead. Thanks to you."

Orferio pauses and gives Norman an odd look. "What do you mean?"

Somebody from the back of the crowd shouts, "Don't pretend like you don't know! You blew us from the skies!" A few shouts of anger rise from the crowd of people, jeering at Orferio in their foreign tongue of clicks and chittering.

In the corner of my eye, I notice Max and Maya crouched behind a bush a few yards away from me. They watch Orferio and the people with intense interest, hardly noticing their shoulders are pressed together as they share a bush for cover. I smile softly, glad they finally are together.

Orferio tilts his head in confusion. "Where are your ships?"

I discreetly crawl towards the couple and make sure to keep low to the ground. I sneak up behind Maya and Max before laying next to Max.

One of the people snorts, "It's a pile of debris just that way. What's the Grounder word... South? Down south?"

Another one nods and adjusts their grip on a sleek silver gun. "Sounds right."

"What's going on?" I ask, glancing between the bush crew and Orferio's new friends.

Max meets my gaze first. His forest green eyes are aglow in the natural light. His voice enters my mind as Orferio's does. They are Ceruleans. They hover above the atmosphere in almost every world and act as the last line of defense against the creatures of space or invaders coming through portals. They are their own race of people, sworn to protect the 'Grounders'. They also keep unauthorized people from leaving their world and interfering with their affairs."

I fight my smile. A space police? I ask humorously.

Max laughs quietly in the back of my mind. "Yes, kind of."

And these are the people Orferio's spies mentioned?

"Yes. He must have called them here earlier, that or we got lucky. The Ceruleans are neutral in the war, in fact..." his voice wavers with guilt. "They hate the war itself. They want nothing to do with it and protect the worlds on their own accord. I'm surprised they are talking so calmly with my brother."

Maybe they're surprised to find the evil of the universe in his birthday suit.

"Perhaps."