by Pixie Moon
Now that I’m free to look around, I do. I blink as I look at the bright sunrays that are beautifully bouncing off the colorful leaves and branches. I spin around and look at the wonder around me.
From here I can see trees that are as wide trunked as whole houses I’ve seen on Earth. They are as tall as ten trees from the bush stacked on top of each other. Vines as big around as my arm and some larger are hanging all over the branches. They snake down at different lengths. The longest ones touch the ground. The leaves are sparse and a golden color that shines when the sun’s rays hit them.
The hues of the trees are amazing. I walk around and see green colored trees that range from key lime to split pea to rich olive. Mixed in are trees in brilliant colors of blue that go from the palest morning glory to the medium blue of a parrot to a deep Mediterranean hue. “This place is simply amazing.”
A flashing green light on the unit on my wrist reminds me that I’m not here as a tourist. I need that medicine. Children could be counting on it. I press the flashing light and read the message.
Scan upward as well as out around you. The guard males will stop you and press their hand to your chest. They can sense danger and dark souls by doing this. You are here on official business so they will not detain or kill you.
What? Not detain or kill me. What if I get a sick guard? He may misread me. Fuck.
Shaking my head, I press the mission button to see where my target is. Maybe I can skirt this city and remain almost unseen. Augh! My target is in the middle of the city. My feet heavily trudge on through the leaf covered ground. I hope these people are nice.
I only go around a few house sized trees when I hear a shuffling up high. I look up and then jump back when I see a huge male riding a thick vine down toward me. My heart pounds in my chest as I wait to see if he’s one of the guards. I can’t run or he’ll think I’m planning something bad. This is not good.
When he lands softly in front of me and I get a good look at him, my jaw drops and refuses to work. The sparkgrofian is only wearing dark pants, boots, and a loaded weapon belt. His skin is slate blue and his muscles are bulging even though he’s just standing still. His eyes are beautiful. They are dark gold and they are sparkling.
Heat infuses my cheeks when I realize that I’m still staring and that he has a grin on his handsome face that is filled with humor.
Trying to be more professional, I say, “I’m here to buy some medicine.” He nods and a dark brown lock of hair enhanced with slate blue falls over his forehead.
“I have to check you. Stand still, little human,” he orders. Since he’s almost as tall as Klimen, I guess I am little to him.
I brace myself as he steps closer to me. A breeze carries his scent to me. He smells like fresh cut grass. I like it but not the way I like Klimen’s scent. His large hand reaches forward and presses to my chest. I can feel his warmth on both of my breasts. A fresh wave of heat beats against my cheeks. This is so personal.
He grins as he curls his fingers and then pulls his hand back. As boring as his job must be on a daily basis, I can’t blame him for getting a feel. Excitement is good for the soul. His touch was gentle, but it didn’t make my heart race the way Klimen’s touch does.
“You are free to do your business,” he says and then grabs the vine and jerks it hard. I watch as he zips upward and then leaps onto a wooden lookout post high in the rich olive colored tree.
Whew! That was a strange experience. I’m glad he wasn’t sick. I check out my map and start walking. I scan a Neptune blue tree and suck in a breath when I see two heat signatures that look like they are doing the naughty. Damn, how did they get inside that tree?
I circle it and see a door. This is so interesting. These people have mastered carving a home out of a massive tree. I look up at the branches and note that it looks as healthy as the trees I’ve already passes. These trees are tougher than any plants I’ve ever seen.
Getting back to my mission, I start heading toward the city again. My eyes widen before I even get into the city. Through the trees I see people moving around and hear them calling out to each other from high and low. I move down paths cut from many feet walking over them.
Looking up, I see patios up high in most of the trees. The doors at ground level and the ones off of the patios are carved and trimmed with intricate designs. This place is simply divine.
There are a few other beings milling among the sparkgrofians. That makes me feel better. I’d hate to be the only alien in this city. The deeper I get into the city the more lively it gets. Sparkgrofians are coming and going by jerking the massive vines that take them up and down. Sometimes they leap from one vine to the next. A happy and lively feeling is coming from the city. I like it a lot.
I watch in wonder as a male rides a vine down and snatches up one of the only female sparkgrofians on the path. He grips her to him and jerks the vine hard. The two quickly rise up into the treetops. The female laughs when the male drops onto a patio and kisses her.
I smile as I continue to my destination. Something catches my foot and I yelp when I see the ground rushing toward my face. I flinch and squeeze my eyes shut. This is going to hurt.
A strong arm wraps around my waist before I hit the leaf covered ground. I feel him jerk a vine and away we go. Up, up, up. It feels so freeing that I open my eyes and laugh out loud.
He gives the vine another hard tug and we start falling. I squeak and stiffen up. A chuckle rumbles through his stout chest. I relax and try not to look like the stranger that I am.
His feet touch the ground before mine. He eases me to the ground and steadies me. I look up into sparkling amethyst eyes.
“Watch your step, pretty one. These roots are unforgiving,” he says in a deep voice and then jerks the vine and up he goes.
As he moves up, I yell, “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome,” he calls back before leaping onto another vine and then another.
I take a breath and remind myself to be more careful. Those huge roots shoot up from the ground close to the base of the trees. I wipe sweat from my brow and look up at the sunrays dancing along the colorful leaves. I love this place. I wouldn’t mind living here with Klimen.
Augh. I’m such a goner. I shouldn’t dream of setting up house with him. Life is uncertain. Getting back to my mission, I look at my map and head off again. This time I check the ground and I don’t let the interesting people distract me.
A relieved sigh escapes me when I see the shop I’m looking for. The business is carved into a key lime colored tree. The door is open so I walk inside. I blink a few times to adjust to the dark interior. When I can see clearly, a male sparkgrofian smiles as he approaches.
His skin is smoky blue and his sparkling eyes are sunflower yellow. The gray in his rich brown hair and the wrinkles around his eyes show that he’s a bit older than the other two males I’ve encountered. His smile is just as bright though.
He stops just outside of my personal space. “How can I help you, pretty one?”
I’m a little surprised at his words. Sparkgrofian males must appreciate all females. That’s kind of sweet.
Since I can’t pronounce the medicine I’m here for I show it to him on my screen. “Do you have this medicine?”
“Yes.” His brows lower and pity fills his eyes. “A fertility drug for such a fine female. I hope it works on humans.”
As I stand in shock, he turns and goes to a cabinet and starts rummaging through it. A fertility drug! I thought I was saving children. Fire stomps along my cheeks. He thinks I need help. My brows scrunch together. Do I? I mean this is a mission so the medicine is not for me, but what if I do need help one day. I really don’t know if I can get pregnant or if I can by Klimen.
While he digs a little deeper into the cabinet and then mumbles as he goes to another cabinet, I look around the carved out shop. The walls have a silky look that makes me wonder if they put something on them to protect the tree from drying out. From here I can s
ee that the center of the tree is still in place. These trees are so massive that I can see a hall that leads around the inside of the tree. I’d love to explore this place. Soft lights are embedded into the walls at all angles but not all of them are on right now. It feels like a normal business with counters and cabinets containing all sorts of dried herbs and jars of medicines and lotions.
When he comes back with a packet of lime colored pills, I quit staring around me and pay him. The sight of the medicine puts me in a haze as I wonder about babies. In a daze, I say goodbye and head out the door. The second my boots touch leaves blue flames surround me and the unique world disappears.
I blink and find myself back on the couch. The pink flashing light has me pressing it from habit.
Congratulations! You have completed your mission without dying once!
Unbelievable. This is one snarky unit.
I hear Klimen’s voice and then the door whooshes open. He’s also unbelievable, locking me in as though I were a wild animal from deep in the bush. I glance down at my naked body and guess I may look a little wild. Especially if my red locks are going in a few different directions. My lips twist for a moment because this is the way he wants me. Wild.
Speaking of wild, I’ve got a question for him. I point at my sesien min with the unit. “Can you get me pregnant?”
I smile when his steps falter. The smile drops from my face as I wonder if I would want an ankle biter with him. I picture a small light plum colored baby with ocean blue eyes. He or she would be adorable. My heart swells at the idea of a little one. I could have a family again.
He drops down beside me and takes the unit from me. After he puts it on the gold material, he takes my hand in his. “I don’t know if we can have babies. I guess we’ll find out in time, sesien min. I don’t think it’s likely though.” He smooths his thumb over my fingernails. The action is quite calming. “Would having my baby bother you? Do you want birth control? I could look into it.”
The caring look in his eyes makes my heart flutter. “I wouldn’t mind a baby if you wouldn’t. Family is important.” I hold my breath as I wait for his answer.
He kisses my hand and then smiles down at me. “I wouldn’t mind having a baby. At my age my parents would be happy to see some grandchildren.” Those ocean waves start churning in his eyes. “Just because we are at the right age in life where a baby would be welcomed doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.” His lips curve appealingly as a light enters his eyes. “But if we can and we all start having babies, we are going to need a much larger spacecraft.”
Relief has me blowing out a hard breath. I love the idea of having a family again. On Earth that wasn’t the greatest idea. But here with Klimen, life is good. There is the small threat of him leaving me and the wee one, but as long as I can stay with the dagrinians we’ll be okay. Family comes first.
“I like your idea. Babies on a craft this size would be a little cramped.” A larger craft would be a good idea even if we can’t have babies. As long as he lets me out of our quarters, that is.
I watch as he picks up the practice unit and flicks it on. My heart pounds out a fast little beat. What will he think of my success?
~ Klimen ~
Pride in Kanda flies through my blood.
I love how she boldly accepts her new life. The sparkle in her eyes when she was talking about having babies with me was a thing of beauty. That she would want to have children with me must mean that she likes me and could possibly want more than the temporary status of sesien min. My heart does that strange thing again. That achy flip when I think about her.
Could I handle being with only one female for the rest of my life? She is a tasty bit. A good flavor to keep on my tongue.
I look at the practice unit in my hands and press the left upper corner to see how she’s done today. My heart nearly bursts with pride and satisfaction. She’s completed three missions.
Ah, that’s where the baby questions came from. The third mission is to retrieve a fertility drug. That mission allowed me to see her in a new light. Kanda Oistin is very special.
Needing to see what she thinks and how she feels about the missions, I say, “You did well, Kanda. Three missions is extremely impressive. What did you think about them?” The light in her eyes tells me a lot.
She squeezes my hand and then practically bounds from the couch. Her hands move and her breasts jiggle as she talks. The soft overhead light makes her dark red hair glow with vibrancy. She is so beautiful.
“It was amazing. The places seemed so real.”
As she begins, I look over the page that tells me how she did on each mission. My heart lurches when I see that she died in the second mission. With great effort, I force myself to calm the black star down.
She is alive. I look her lovely body over as she tells me about her first mission. Yes, her glowing skin and eyes prove just how alive she is.
I’m fine until I hear her start talking about the raktikian that followed her. In real life she could have died on two different occasions. I don’t like that at all. The thought of her dying blackens my mood. What is it about her that mixes me up and makes my heart long to protect her?
I take a breath and inhale her sweet scent. I look into her excited eyes and feel my mood lighten. As she talks about her active cycle, she shines brighter than a new star.
When she finishes telling me all about the female she saved and then all about the interesting sparkgrofians, I pull her into my lap so that her legs are straddling mine and then kiss her thoroughly.
Before the heat can claim us and we start grinding into each other, I reluctantly pull back and look into her lively sky blue eyes. “Those planets you went to are real.”
“Pig’s arse!”
I can’t stop the chuckle that rumbles from me at the sight of her shocked face. “They are very real.” I take her hand and squeeze it lightly to get her full attention. “They are also deadly.” I nod toward the unit on the couch next to us. “You didn’t tell me you were killed today. That raktikian that stalked you is a deadly creature as well.” I barely contain a shudder as I confront her.
She shrugs a creamy shoulder. “That part wasn’t important. I lived and learned from the experience. On Earth I plotted most of our routes. I’m good at it. Today I learned that other places are just as deadly as Earth if you don’t know who and what to look for.”
Her confidence is good and bad. I cup her face and stare into her eyes. “Don’t ever leave this craft without me by your side.” Just the thought of her exploring dangerous planets alone has fear slicing through my veins. I shouldn’t have let her use the practice unit.
No, I need to keep my distance. She is just my sesien min. My heart drops and then leaps back up only to swell painfully in my chest. Kanda is way more to me than just a sesien min. Rizpa nin! That is a scary and strangely exciting thought.
Her eyes narrow as she stares into my soul. I can’t stop the emotional ride I’m on. She is seeing too much.
A small smile curls her luscious lips and her bright blue eyes soften. “I promise not to leave this ship without you.” Her gaze cuts to the unit and then returns to mine. “Although I had an amazing day safely exploring those worlds, I know I wouldn’t last long on foreign soil without you there to guide me away from danger.” Her eyes shine and soften even more. “I trust you, Klimen.”
Her softly spoken words flip a switch inside my heart. I growl and hug her tightly to me. The possessive beast in me rises to the surface. Kanda is way more than a sesien min to me. She has become my world in a short amount of time.
I’ll gladly explore this new world known as Kanda for the rest of my life.