Date on Earth: Thursday, October 5th
"Ow, stop squirming!"
"You stop squirming!"
"I'm not even moving."
"Well, I can't breathe when your 200 pound body is sitting on me!"
"No, you're sitting on me."
"Is this your face?"
"Get your hand off my butt."
"Would you two be quiet please?"
The argument echoed off the walls of whatever place we were in. No matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn't see a thing.
The one thing I did know was that we were dangling from a net that hung from underground roots.
And it was very uncomfortable.
"Tesha, got any ideas?" I asked her.
"Not at the moment," she responded. "This must be a trap set up by Zogi. Unless it is normal to have these things on Earth?"
"No, definitely not." Asher squirmed some more.
"Can you two see anything?" Tesha asked.
"Besides Tristen's rear end? Nope."
I rolled my eyes.
Asher suddenly went still. "Wait, do you guys hear that?"
I listened closely before sucking in a deep breath.
Footsteps.
"Someone's coming!" I whispered aggressively.
"We need to get out of here," Asher stated. "How far underground do you think we are?"
"Wouldn't matter, even if we did know. More ground would probably cave in if we attempted pulling ourselves out."
"We must stay calm," Tesha told us. "We don't know what they want with us yet."
"Not sure I wanna know," I retorted.
Tesha sighed. "But I think it is-"
A loud clanging noise silenced us instantly.
A moment later a small flaming light appeared in front of me. A loud cheer bounced off the walls.
"Yes! Take that you pesky little thieves! I knew someone was stealing from my food stash." The voice had a unique accent, which sounded strangely familiar.
Whoever the person was stepped closer, and I could make out the outline of something that did not look human.
There was a scoff. "Humans. Of course. What are your species doing this deep in the forest huh? The one place I thought I'd be free from your kind. Figures."
So he definitely wasn't human. Did that mean...
Tesha answered the question for me. "Zogi! Thank goodness we found you. It's me, Tesha!"
"Ms. Aster?"
"Yes! Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you."
"You mean we found him?" I felt a smile grow on my face.
"Knew we could do it!" Asher exclaimed.
"Zogi, do you mind freeing us now?" Tesha asked in her soft voice.
"Huh? Oh yeah, right." He pulled on a lever next to him and sent us tumbling down to the ground. I groaned when we crashed on the hard ground.
I weaved my way out of the net and leaned against the dirt wall, rubbing the arm I had landed on.
From the better angle, I had a clearer look at the alien. It was incredibly short, no more than a foot tall. Its skin was a bluish gray with yellow spots and was absent of hair. Its yellow eyes seemed to see through everything as he studied each one of us.
Zogi walked up to Tesha and said a few words in another language. She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. The alien also looked sorrowful and comforted her gently.
Zogi said a few more words before stepping away. He switched to English. "So you two humans are the Chosen. Interesting."
"We got another friend," I told him. "Diana. She's Chosen too, but the Axones abducted her."
"Do you know how we can find her?" Asher asked Zogi.
"Let's all just slow down. Jeez, so much rush. I'll answer questions later. But first, follow me."
He gestured us forward and we followed him down the tunnel-like hallway. Zogi stopped once in a while to light up a torch that hung from the dirt walls.
"You should be glad I installed these torches. Otherwise you kids wouldn't be able to see anything down here," Zogi said as he blew on the fire to get it to grow. We took a few more steps before the tunnel expanded into the size of a living room.
There were places to sit carved into the dirt. In the middle of the room was a slab of rock that probably acted as a table. In the corner was a pile of what one could assume was the alien's "food", consisting of insects, small animals, and even a few berries.
But something about it made it seem kinda...homey.
In a very strange, uncomfortable way.
"Woah, did you make all of this?" Asher asked Zogi, laying down on one of the benches of dirt.
"Yup, with my own two hands. If that's even the correct term for these things." He lifted up his three fingered "hands" that had sharp claws and huge calluses. Definitely looked more like paws.
I walked over to the pile of food, plugging my nose at the potent smell of dead animals. I picked up one of the red berries.
"Thought these were poisonous," I said out loud, half to myself. Zogi stalked up to me, jumped up impressively high, and smacked the berry out of my hand.
"First off, never, ever, touch my food. You do it again and I'll add you to the pile. Got that?"
I blinked.
"I said got that?"
"Y-yes," I stuttered.
"Good." He picked up the berry and placed it at the top of his pile. "Second, I got a stronger immune system than you humans, so the poison doesn't affect me. That answer your question?"
I nodded, still in shock of how a foot tall alien could be scarier than Mr. Butthall and his disgusting beard.
Tesha appeared next to me and put her hand on my arm. "Do not worry," she reassured me. "Zogi will not actually hurt you. He is 'all bite but no bark'. That is the correct saying, right?"
"Close, but I think you mean all bark no bite," I told her.
"Oh, that does make more sense," she said, laughing at herself.
I took some time to study the room in greater detail. Claw marks were etched onto the dirt walls, evidence of the small alien digging it himself. It was extremely impressive that such a small creature could create something so massive.
Hesitantly, I sat down on one of the dirt seats, afraid it would crumble from my weight. Surprisingly, it didn't.
Asher suddenly yawned loudly, stretching. "Man, this lighting makes me tired. Could I go outside for a bit?"
"Don't think it's just the lighting," I speculated. "I mean, you didn't get any sleep last night. No wonder you're tired."
Asher shrugged. "Eh, I can survive without sleep. And right now isn't really the best time to rest, so I think going outside would be good for me."
Tesha tilted her head. "That...doesn't make a lot of sense."
He smirked. "I never do."
"No one's leaving yet," Zogi ordered, shutting down the conversation. "Not before I give you two all the information you need."
Asher yawned again. "Well, you better speak fast."
Zogi growled at him before facing Tesha, facial features instantly softened. "Ms. Aster, do you want to go outside? Our conversations may be a little...hard for you."
Tesha looked down and nodded. The short alien led her to an opening that I hadn't noticed before and ushered her up.
"Oh, so Tesha gets to go outside but I don't? I see how it is," Asher joked when the girl had disappeared up the pathway.
"You have no idea what that girl has gone through," Zogi snapped. "She may seem like a gentle little angel, but she's stronger than the two of you combined, even without the Jh'ai. So yes, she gets to go outside while you stay inside."
Asher put up his hands. "Hey, I get it. Just joking."
Zogi grumbled under his breath -something about ignorant human teenagers- and jumped up to sit on one of the benches, suddenly looking exhausted.
"Did Ms. Aster tell you about her mission?" Zogi asked, more quietly.
I shrugged. "Said something about the Axones becoming corrupt and stuff. Well that, and..."
"Her mother." Asher finished for me. "She died on her last mission." Zogi nodded gravely.
"The Jh'ai are a large part of Niburan culture. We have a number of rules stating how and how not it should be used. One of the most important rules being not to use the power of the Jh'ai for our own gain. However, a few idiotic Axones didn't seem to get the motto.
"So, to make sure the galaxy didn't fall into complete chaos, Commander Aster, Tesha's mother, formed a rebellion. They stole the Jh'ai, a feat that was anything but easy, and escaped in a stolen spaceship. Their goal was to get the remaining Jh'ai to Earth, the closest planet with life. And they succeeded, evidence being you two."
I looked down, sneaking a glance at my wrist. All that work, just to get the supposedly super powerful weapon type things away from the Axones? Exactly how powerful were the Jh'ai?
"Tell me, do you kids have any idea of the power the Jh'ai hold?" Zogi said, like he read my mind.
Who knows, maybe he could.
"They are the most powerful beings in the galaxy," he continued, not waiting for an answer. "With all of them put together, they could destroy entire solar systems instantly. Their enemies would stand no chance against them."
I felt my stomach churn. "You mean we got that power inside of us?"
"'You mean you mean we got that power inside of us?'" he mimicked me in a high voice. "Yes! Now keep up."
"I'm still a little confused," Asher said. "If the Jh'ai are so powerful, then what does it need us for?"
"I'm getting there," Zogi snapped. "As I was saying, the Jh'ai are extremely powerful. However, to be able to use that power, it must form a symbiotic relationship with a host. Unless it is put in a special contraption that is only on Nibura, the Jh'ai will search for someone they presume worthy of their power. Once they choose that someone, the two go through the painful process of Kohata, or merging."
I shuddered, remembering the extreme pain that the process had caused.
"After the merging, well, that's when the fun begins." Zogi rubbed his hands together with an expression that made me scared for my life.
"Shortly after that, the host will start to notice changes; they'll be able to do things they couldn't do before that are...unnatural. The powers are given to the host to allow them to be able to protect the Jh'ai. And by the looks of it, the Jh'ai chooses different abilities for different species."
"That's why the-ripoff-of-Frozone Dude could control ice," Asher concluded.
"I have no idea who Frozone is, but sure," said Zogi. "Now, before my curiosity kills me, what abilities has the Jh'ai bestowed on the humans?"
"Shapeshifting," I told him.
There was a moment of silence. Then the small alien burst out laughing.
"Shapeshifting, eh? And the Axones thought they were the Jh'ai's favorite, ha!"
Me and Asher looked at him in confusion as he wiped away tears. "Ah, that ought to teach them some humility. Anyways, how does the shape-shifting work? Do you turn into many things or just one?"
"Only one," I answered.
"Hm, interesting..." he said to himself. "And which creature?"
"Rhino."
He studied me again, then nodded to himself. "Yup, I can see it. Your nose especially resembles a rhinoceros horn."
Subconsciously, I reached up to feel my nose. Zogi snickered.
He then faced Asher. "Well?" he asked. "What do you turn into?" I also turned his way, curious how he'd answer.
"I don't know," Asher said, shrugging.
Zogi scoffed. "You don't know? How can you not know?"
He shrugged again. "I haven't turned into anything yet."
Something about the statement seemed off to me.
"Weird," I said. "I started feelin' the transformation hours after touching the thing."
Asher played with hands. "Well...everyone's different, right?"
Zogi snorted. "Not with the Jh'ai they're not. It shouldn't take long to show, especially if you were already in a life-threatening situation."
With a sigh, Asher said, "Maybe it's broken."
Zogi pointed his finger at him. "Listen here boy, don't you dare disrespect the Jh'ai. They are far more powerful than you will ever know. It cannot be broken."
There was silence, then Asher mumbled, "Maybe I'm broken." He probably didn't want us to hear, but it still reached my ears and felt a pinch of pity as he crossed his arms, rocking back and forth.
Zogi muttered something about "teenage angst" and picked up a berry from his food pile. "I'll go get Tesha before I read your Jh'ai marking. She'll probably want to know what it says. And do not"-he eyed me- "touch my food. Got it?"
I nodded as he disappeared into the tunnel.
I turned my attention to Asher. He was studying the tattoo on his arm, stopping when he caught me watching him.
"Dude, that alien really needs to learn some temper management," the boy said with a chuckle.
I laughed with him. "You see how red his face got when he yelled?"
Asher snorted. "I know right? Like when you touched his food? Oh man, that was priceless!"
I laughed again, watching as Asher sat down on one of the benches too.
As we waited for the alien to come back, the information from Zogi flooded my brain. It was too much all at once.
Apparently, the thing inside me was powerful enough to destroy planets. No, solar systems.
Apparently, it decided to choose me to protect it.
And apparently, I was supposed to actually be able to do that. I mean, did the Jh'ai even know me? One attack from aliens and I was already willing to give it away to someone better. More worthy.
Worthiness cannot be measured, a voice in my head told me, shocking me to my core. One person may be worthy of something, but not another. You were chosen because you will be worthy when the time comes.
How?
I didn't even notice the way my hands shook as I stood. My headphones would've been much appreciated at the moment.
A hand was put on my shoulder. "Hey man, you okay?" Asher asked me.
"Yeah, good." I put my hands in my pockets.
...
Zogi came out of the tunnel, Tesha following him. The girl looked slightly pale and distracted, but she still managed a smile as she sat down.
Zogi jumped up on the stone table and rubbed his hands eagerly. "Okay, who's going first?" Me and Asher looked at each other and shrugged.
Zogi rolled his eyes. "I didn't think it was that hard of a question. Whatever. Tall-y, you're up first," he pointed at me. "Get over here."
Hesitantly, I walked over to the table. Zogi grabbed my wrist and pulled it close to him.
I stood there awkwardly as he hummed and nodded to himself.
"Looks here that you are terrified and don't want anything to do with this. If you could, you would walk away from the whole charade and not regret a thing," he concluded.
"You got all that from the tattoo?" I asked nervously.
He smirked. "Oh no, just by looking at you. I haven't even read it yet." He snorted at my expression. "Now be quiet so I can concentrate."
He closed his eyes. My eyes widened as the tattoo started to glow brightly.
Asher peeked over my shoulder and whispered, "Woah, that's so cool."
He shushed us again and focused for a few more seconds before opening his eyes.
Zogi patted me on the head. "You may be weak, but at least you're not bad."
"So I don't have any potential for evil?" I asked hopefully.
"Everyone has some evil inside of them, but I gotta say, yours is very slim."
I smiled and Zogi shot me a glare. "Now don't let it get to your head boy, or I'll slap it right out of you." My smile instantly disappeared.
Asher then showed his own wrist. "Ready for the reading."
Zogi rolled his eyes but proceeded to grab his arm.
He stayed like that for a while, eyes closed. The glow of the marking illuminated the room, and we watched in amazement.
Time ticked by. A minute turned into two, and soon I started to get worried.
My reading didn't take that long.
Asher and Tesha also seemed to notice. Putting a hand on the alien's back, Tesha whispered something in his ear.
"Shhhh," he said aggressively. "I'm trying to do something here."
We waited for another minute before he finally opened his eyes. Zogi was silent as he stared off into the distance.
"So..." Asher prompted. When he didn't respond, he continued. "What? Am I good? Bad? Incredibly and indescribably confusing?"
Zogi scoffed. "Confusing is an enormous understatement."
Asher bounced his leg and looked like he would explode from impatience when Zogi didn't continue. "Can you expand on that?"
Zogi sighed. "Well, you certainly aren't evil. You have greater potential than anything I have ever seen, for some reason. I can't say anything for sure, except that, kid, you're a mess."
Asher chuckled. "Trust me, I know." He went quiet for a while before asking, "Were you able to see why I haven't shape-shifted yet?"
The alien looked away suspiciously. "No."
Nobody seemed convinced, but we didn't say anything. I was still wrapping my head around the fact that Asher had that much potential.
Wow. Worded that horribly.
What I meant was, he wasn't exactly...the most intimidating specimen.
Now that sounded even worse.
Guess what I meant was, compared to Tesha or Diana, he didn't seem all that powerful. He hadn't even shown any signs of the Jh'ai being in him in the first place. Besides the tattoo.
Time to shut up Tristen.
I forced myself back to reality. Asher was complaining about not eating in nearly two days and Tesha pitched in as well, saying she was hungry.
Putting his hands up, Zogi growled. "Fine, you guys hungry?" He went over to a spot behind the pile of food. But instead of pulling out something to eat, he held out a dagger.
I felt my heart skip a beat as he threw it at us. It landed right in front of Tesha's feet and she picked it up.
"Go to the surface and kill something to eat," he snapped.
Asher whooped. "Finally! I'll be up top!" Without waiting for a response, he ran up the tunnel, his stick in his hand.
"Can I stay here?" I asked, insides churning at the thought of killing anything, even for food.
Zogi sighed loudly. "Do whatever you want. Ms. Aster, you probably want to meet up with the other boy before he gets himself into trouble."
Tesha nodded. "I'll see you two soon," she said, then exited the room.
Me and Zogi stood in awkward silence. He mumbled something to himself and started walking away when I stopped him.
"Zogi," I asked cautiously. "What'd you really see about Asher's power?"
His face darkened and he growled, "Like I said, I saw nothing on the topic."
But I knew it wasn't true.