When I came to, I was surrounded by hanging lights. girlands of flowing light balls where hung in the vivid green jungle trees. I sat on top of a flat hill, tied to a post by thick, ivory white ropes that cut deep into my wrists, stomach and ankles.
In front of me, the hill was sloping down in a big opening that was surrounded by the alien jungle with not only poisonous looking, tall trees, but all kinds of unfamiliar plants. High, jagged maroon leaves, shady cobalt bushes, glowing cerulean flowers. A thin, sour tasting drizzle rain fell but it did nothing to put out the huge ball of fire that shone downhill.
Inside a circle of tall, glowing blue rocks, a campfire as high as two floors of a house burned. In the damp earth all around us stood thick, calcium white pillars with carved in, red runes in them. These signs looked like somebody had slashed them in with a knive and made the white of the pillar bleed.
Downhill, there were also a dozen of strange cylindrical shapes made from bubble covered black rock. They had entrances that were hung with Reed like curtains and looked like funny tents.
I had a slow coming to process, blinking with all that I saw. My hands were twisted painfully to my back.
In the middle of the opening, my eyes caught onto another strange thing; a flat, even, hexagonal, dark grey platform with a lilac shine was the center of their little village. There was nothing on the platform but a few fine cracks in the unearthly stone. The shimmer that lay over it made the surface look frozen. Around the platform stood black baskets with contents that were covered in sort of linen textures.
In the very far back, where the jungle began, there was a big white, rectangular building. No windows, just one gaping black hole as a door.
Then I turned around and realized that we were sitting at the edge of another platform, some sort of rough black stone platform on top of the hill. And inside the hill were glass like panes, reflecting in diagonal, shard like windows. Behind me, tied to other pillars, were my companions. Well, one of them. Kain. The other were nowhere in sight. Then I realized why I couldn't speak or why Kain didn't. We had tied mouths. Some thick, waxy, white and yellow cloth covered my jaw. I bit on it and it was a strangely dense material. Tasted like rubber.
Behind us, on the platform where actual white tents with red signs painted onto them. A huge tree seemed to be the center here. It was lilac, with a glowing grey, black and lilac stem tagt looked like it was pulsating, like it had veins and was breathing. The tree roof was very far up and there hung cards of some sort from the branches.
I met Kains green eyes - he sat across from me - and he raised his eyebrows as if to ask wether I also thought this place was away with the fairies.
I tried to move my wrists in the rope but it cut deeper into my skin, until I flinched, searing pain forcing me to still.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you", a soft voice spoke. My head shot around. A smaller woman had emerged possibly from one of the tents - and suddenly they were everywhere below the hill. The alien men ran around, yelling in that gibberish language and going from house to house. Somewhere in the back, deep, hollow sounding drums where beaten. I watched in awe as two eight foot tall, muscular outlanders walked past with shaven head and cobalt and red arrows and runes painted onto their shimmering, bald heads, their ears decorated with prolonged white feathers dangling from their ears. They also were clad in blue cloths and they carried sharp looking, white blades. Luckily they walked far away from our platform and my attention snapped back to the woman that stood there with her small hands folded, smiling gingerly at me .
She had cinnamon colored skin with an ethereal white glow over it, like she had bathed in snow. Or frost. She wore a flowing red tunic and a white skirt that reached the floor and seemed to dissolve into blue silk at the bottom. In her ears where two short black spikes as well as a number of smaller white pearls and her upward slanting, big black eyes looked at me with the weight of somebody who knew things. She had a calm air about her but I obviously didn't trust the alien woman one bit.
Her full lips where painted In a shimmering purpur and she had two overlapping, painted on, white strokes on each high cheekbone.
She was smaller than the other outlanders we'd seen but still left an impression deeper than any human could.
I narrowed my eyes at her in lucid suspicion and she walked closer and put a warm hand onto my neck, just above where the rope forced it back to the post. Before I could yell or struggle, she closed her eyes and out of her parting round lips came a low voice, serenely rolling words through the enchanting tongue of these people. An exiguous, milky glow streamed the silky skin of her dark brown eyelids. It was like a slight pressure wave went through the air. Then the aching of my neck and other tied limbs eased. It felt like it was easier to breathe even though I was still tersely bound back.
"What did you do?", I wanted to ask but I couldn't speak through the way. I looked at her in heed but she still had that face less smile that let a person derive nothing. There was something mysterious to all of them but this smaller woman seemed to be a master of keeping treasures hidden.
Then another figure was illuminated but the pink and bordeaux sky here. His hair was chin long and whitish blond, like faultless white gold falling around his slim face with the elfin, even, clear features. His skin was slightly tanned but with the same snow glow over it tagt they all had. He was about seven foot, and his careful and calculated movements didn't receive the fact that he was strong, although lean in built. His narrow eyes were of the most cutting ice blue I'd ever seen. There was an iridescent ring of liquid silver just around his pupil and silver seemed to be all over him. A faint shimmer on the eyelids, on the lips, his lashes. There was no warmth to his face; He looked like he was born in ice.
They way he moved, slowly stepping closer, was elegant, dignified, even. His arms and torso stuck in a wide robe of hard white material with white engravings and shapes on it. He had a black belt on but other than that he was all in white and silver. He didn't wear pearls or feathers like any of the other outlanders. There was a quiet intensity to this man and it was impossible to guess his age but in terms of human age he could be estimated in his early twenties..
Long, slim fingers wrung with each other - no, wrung with a chain of black beads, I realized. The chain was tied to his left sleeve, the only piece of adornment he seemed to own.
His eyes met mine without meeting them. It was like he was looking at me more like at an object that he was studying than an animate thing.
He knelt down into the humid moss under us. It felt wrong to see his knees in the white robe go down to the muggy ground but he seemed to waste no care for this.
His hand suddenly grabbed my chin, with a lot more force than his slim and couth manner would let suspect. He turned my jaw from side to side and examined my face closely. When my eyes shut themselves in shock, he flicked against my jaw and eyes sprung back open.
He was still examining me, his grip cool on my skin.
He then let go and turned the smaller woman with a sharp, quick, rolling exchange of alien words and she nodded, answering in a gentler tone, but just as clearly.
Then a third person stepped forward, coming out from the white tent closest to us.
He was a huge impressive man with strong arms enhanced by six strong metal rings on each. He wore a black vest and had spiky black hair and black tattoos covered half his jaw, from the jawline to the lips. I had to blink twice to make sure it was not a faint beard. Unknown signs, intertwined to a unique pattern, black paint on his furrowed, worn, tan skin. A huge grey scar ran through his face, from his forehead down, only missing his right eye by an inch. He seemed to have gotten lucky with that slash. This mans eyes were of another shade of cerulean blue, but his pupils were so small, that I tossed the idea of mistaking him for human.
He stepped over in three rough big steps and yanked the cloth out of my mouth.
"Aris" The smaller woman stretched out her hand. Like she wanted to stop him from the rough treatment but he paid no attention to her.
"Human girl", he said with the strangest accent I had ever heard. It was like his words where slithering, slipping on a river of melted Sterling coins. Clinking and flowing. A slight hissing accompanied his speech.
I glared up at him and 'Aris' turned to the woman, speaking in harsh, quick alien tongue. His sounded different than the more beautifully orchestrated, rolling languege that I had heard before but the smaller woman surprised me by replying in the same kind of harsh, deep, rough tongue.
Aris tilted his head with her answer, then nodded over to Kain, asking another question.
I looked over at Kain who sat there in his rope, wide eyed.
The woman answered again and again, the tall alien man Aris nodded like the gentle alien woman had just confirmed something that he had been suspecting for himself.
He then bowed down and grabbed my jaw - what a habit with these people - but in a lot more painful fashion than the younger looking blonde had.
"You....", he sizzled. "Ssspeak."
His fingers bore into the skin of my jaw. "Mari'Chirah says you human kill our Lifelings."
It was strange to hear this gruff voice speak my language. It felt strangely offending, like he was descending from his grandeur to have a word with me, the little creature stranded on his muddy grounds.
"I don't know what you're talking about", I squeaked, squirming in pain. Whatever wonders the women in the tunic had used to ease all my discomfort was gone and she stood there with a hard face, like she was putting me but this was necessary. "I haven't killed anything or anyone!"
"Liar!" A brutal slap tossed my face around to the side and pain expanded over the left side of my jaw.
"Aris", the woman spoke quietly, like she was afraid to rattle him up. She said something in his harsh tongue but made it sound friendly. Another slap hit me on the same spot and this time I was seeing stars, my vision spinning in front of me. When I did manage to peek over to where Kain was at his ivory pillar, he was tugging at his rope, but it was plaim that there was no way that he could help me.
When I looked back up at the alien brute, he stood there, nostrils flaring, and wiped the back of his monstrous hand over his ink covered jaw. "Alien scum", he sizzled.
"If you didn't kill, then did he?" He pointed over at Kain.
"No", I corrected him quickly. "No, none of us killed anything."
I prepared myself for another blow buy to my surprise Aris turned away and called over two other men in blue fabric. He beckoned them to do something and they matched off and untied Kain from his post.
"Hey!" I sat up. "What are you doing?"
They all ignored me and the two tall males dragged a struggling and kicking Kain back over the platform and disappeared with him in of the white tents closest to the pulsating purple tree.
"Where did they take him?", I demanded, making eye contact with the brute although my voice was shaking. The brute ignored me again. Instead, he turned to the ethereally beautiful blonde alien guy and dropped to his knees. I was in shock, to see such a heavy, broad ruffian fall knee deep into the mud next to the platform.
He looked like his weight should shatter the Earth underneath him and open an abyss so deep that every last star would disappear inside it.
He said a word in the rolling language that sounded like. "Effrain-y."
The blonde cast an eye over him, no, perused him in an unmoved manner. I wondered what his - the blondes - voice could be described as. I imagined it as a mixture of ice and earth, but just when he started talking again, I was shocked to find that his voice now was smooth and liquid, running down people's thirsty throats like the last drop of saving water. At the same time, he surely could cut through ice.
They must have different vocal chords than humans - their voices sounded multi dimensional.
"Ah" The blonde man only said one honed word. It sliced the air but never took away from his regal aura.
He then turned back to the woman with an expressionless face and the brute, Aris, on the ground nodded, one fists put on top of the other with an slight angle. Aris got up and slowly retreated back into the shadows, out of the light that the huge fire on the other side of the camp three over everything.
Suddenly, the blond was at my side. In a surprisingly deep voice he asked me, in English: "Starchild. What do they call you?"
I had trouble breathing. "Malena.", I said. My whole life, people had just referred to me as Masie, since my little sister did, but it felt lawless to give him that sort of reply.
He was still looking at me without really looking at me. I was entranced by the silver ring in his eyes, the smoothness of everything about him.
"I can't guarantee you'll live.", he said bluntly, again, turning my chin in his hands. "But if you put your heart to it, maybe you will live long enough to see your friends again." His accent was nearly perfect. It was only accompanied by a very faint, hiss.
Like somebody on Earth would speak if they were a bit breathless which was a strange contrast to his strong tone
His fingers left my jaw and he straightened and turned, walking away towards a bigger building out of light stone to the left. With a finger, he beckoned the woman to follow and she did so, after a second of looking at me out of those deep black eyes.
The instance she turned, two other men appeared and worked my ropes.
No explanation then.
I didn't even think about struggling. I had understood how things worked here and that these people, whoever they were, had a lot more strength than an average human on Earth did. If I put my heart to it, the blonde had said. I didn't want to find out what they would think of doing to me, the 'alien scum', if I ignored their friendly offer to play along and decided to venture out on my own. Not to mention they held everyone from our little group captive.
As they got me of my post, grabbing my arms on both sides and pulling me up onto my feet, I stretched to get a good look at the tent where they had abducted Kain to. If he was held this close, my hope was that the others were near by as well. My gaze shot to the other tents. One of them opened, fabric shifting aside but it was none of the others. But a tall dark man emerged, giving me the side eye. I recognized him as one of the two who took me captive at the river shore.
.
He walked in mighty steps. Down the hill and towards one of the shard like windows, rubbing the crude black wristbands that covered his arms in five. As if somebody like him ever could be cold. He must feel like a walking heater, I thought. With that mass.
Next to one of the windows in the hill was a tall opening. He disappeared into the hill and my gaze shifted further to a rod with a black flag.
Just where in the world had I landed.
Although the answer was clear. Nowhere in the world.
I tried to make my weight more unnoticeable. It would be good if they completely understand me.
The two alien men tossed my ropes off me, heavy as they were, they sank into the mud, and then they dragged me across the field, away from the tents. My heart was racing. Why would they keep somewhere else, if they had led Kain to a tent?
I wanted to struggle, but told myself to keep still as they shoved and yanked me to the same white building where the blonde had disappeared into. It seemed to be their main house.
Upon coming closer, I could tell that the walls were made out of no stone that you would ever find on Earth. These walls were mirrors, and yet they reflected nothing. White and brisk but at the same time the surface was smooth, every little flaw in the wall shimmering like silver.
The doorway was a deep unshapely hole but the second we got inside, blue light engulfed us and we reached another set of double doors made out from perfectly shaped glass. Behind it was a long, high hallway. The ceiling was at lest fourty feet high and light fell in through a long slit that seemingly ran through the sky. The walls inside here looked like they were crying: trickles of white stone running down along it. There were gaping arches to all sides and the hall angled off at the very end, but I never got to see what was down there.
My captures pushed me through the fourth archway on the left and I found myself in a big, white, cave like room.
There wasn't much in here. A flat white stone bench, a bucket and a white cloth of some type.
Something that looked similar to cream colored soap, too.
They gave me another jab in the back and I stumbled forwards, to the end of the room and through another opening. Of course it was too much to hope that they would hold me near the entrance. They had correctly identified me as a troublemaker. Sure, Kain was louder, but I was sneakier.
The next room one was a very long, broad room that echoed every single one of our steps. I felt like I was the main lead in an involuntary act.
A slim way led through the middle of this long room and the floor looked like it was covered in salt.
Left and right, there were pools of icy looking water.
The ruffians pushed me over the aisle. I walked stiffly, their grips on my arms.
At the front of the room was a wall that looked like a frozen waterfall in white.
Left and right were doorways. They pushed me through the right one and my head spun as I frantically tried to remember every single turn we took - and ever one it would take to get back out of here.
I didn't dare ask where we were going. Besides, grim and puffy next to me didn't look like they wanted to make friemds.
The next room was a round white cave with multiple openings, but finally, they stood and elbowed me towards a fountain in the middle of the circle, one that, on first glance, resembled an icy bird bath.
"What..... Is this..?", I asked. I'm not sure their alien brains comprehended my look of ridicule correctly.
The black eyed guy next to me motioned me to drink, cupping his hands and bowing his head. He'd make a good mine actor.
I stared at the water inside the basin - stared in horror. Who knew what type of 'water' this was that they wanted me to taste. But they pushed me again, between the shoulder blades, and I staggered to the glinting surface of the icy brew of whatever, that waited for me in the cracked bowl.
Well here goes nothing.
Hesitantly, I dug one hand into the cold wet. It felt like normal water.but what on this planet could be described as normal.
Anothet hard blow on the neck made me reconsider. "Geez", I said over my shoulder. "Let me think." Not that they understood me. I'd be surprised if they spoke more than five words in their own language. I bent over, huffing, and cupped a handful into my mouth. The clear liquid was frosty but tasteless like water.
I turned warily to the two men but they were staring at me, waiting. Should I drink more? I was thirsty but I still didn't trust the liquid. But when I didn't drop dead after the first two minutes, and they still stood there watching me, I could no longer restrain my throat. How long since the last time that I had something to drink?
The cool liquid ran down my throat like a savior. Stupid, I told myself. But I could not stop. I was dehydrated to the point of not caring what type of liquid I gulped down.
When my biggest thirst was somewhat quenched, I wiped my mouth and leaned over the basin, exhaling like someone freed me from war. That's what it felt like though I was feeling human again.
Now, I thought, my hair hanging down around my shoilders, water dripping from my face. It was now or never. Now was my chance. They wouldn't expect it. I wasn't as strong as them but definitely faster. I'd bet my house on it.
I spun around and kicked the first guy into his groin, praying that alien groins worked the same way human ones did, at the same time, I reached over and took a handful of water out of the basin that I splashed into the other guys face.
They both stumbled back and I ran for the first possible archway on the left.
What was this? It looked like a railway. A rollercoaster on black and purple stone, driving through a long tunnel with shiny walls. There even was a wagon. A rectangular car with three rows of seats. I didn't think twice. I jumped over the brim and onto the seat by a white lever and keyboard. If the railway had looked ancient a second ago, it suddenly turned Hi-Tech. Blue lights flared up left and right. A big white cuff that I hadn't even realized existed shot out of my seat and tied me to the car. Obviously, there was no turning back now. I pulled at the lever, then shoved it forward when it didn't budge at first and finally, it sank into the machinery and the car came alive. Slow and slower were catching up to me but I pressed down random keys on the keyboard and the car came alive. A neon blue cage appeared around me, lining the car. The two alien men shrank back and watched me in horror. I grinned, as I noticed the slight sizzle that went out from the - obviously electrical - cage. Suddenly I was sure that they wouldn't get me.
I pushed more keys and abruptly, the air pressure around me changed. The rails of light in front of me were flaring. A deep warning beep flared out. Then the car shot forward. And how it shot forward - I screamed as I dashed through the glimmering white tunnel in what appeared to resemble lightning speed.
Oh my God, what did I do? I gripped the cuff - there was no where else to hold on to, honestly - and my hair flew back as I flew past a tunnel branch. The car automatically assumed the left path. Then a three-way branch appeared and I slid through the middle.
But then the tunnel came to an end. Convinced that this was it, I lifted my hands and covered my eyes but suddenly the cart turned - turned! It lifted so that I was awkwardly pressed backwards against my seat and drove upwards. The rails seemed to pull up the car effortlessly, the electrical blue sizzling around me. Then an opening appeared above me and the cart fixed it's alignment. I was driving normally again, straightforward, right towards a huge, open black cave with an abyss.
.