Allison let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Don’t answer my question.”
Queane stopped again, this time turning to face her slowly. She looked down at her. For the first time, one of the Samou didn’t look at her with an expression of disgust. This was the first time she didn’t feel completely terrified of them.
“We’re not supposed to engage with you very much,” she explained.
“What do you mean?”
She looked around, making sure there was no one else around. “The Bodaway was very clear that we were not to create any type of relationship with you. You’re the enemy.”
“I’m not the enemy!” Allison said emphatically.
“Quiet!” Queane snapped at her.
“But,” she said, lowering her voice, “I’m not the enemy.”
“You’re threatening our existence.”
“Not me. I’m not doing any of that.”
“Do you not belong to the group that has done nothing but destroy our planet since you arrived?”
“I belong to them, but…”
“Do you not intend to bring others like you here? To occupy our space, to destroy our nature, to kill anything and everything that prevents you from doing so?”
“Kill?” she said quietly. “No. We would never kill your kind!”
“You know nothing,” Queane replied softly. Her dark black eyes burned into Allison’s. Her expression was once again stern and angry. But there was a hint of sadness in the way she looked at her, maybe even fear.
“If I don’t know anything, then why take me? Why not take someone who does? It’s obvious that you could overpower any of the groups that were out exploring that day. Why did you take me?”
“It was not my decision,” she replied bluntly.
“And killing your kind, destroying your planet—do you think that was my decision?” she shot back.
“We need to continue,” Queane said as she turned to continue. “They will be waiting for us.”
“Whose decision was it?” Allison asked as she followed behind. “Who decided to take me?”
“Hakona.”
The rest of the time they walked, neither of them spoke. Allison’s mind was racing with questions. Why would they assume that they were there to kill them? They simply wanted a safe place to live. They could learn the ways of the planet. They could be respectful. It was true, they had done nothing to prove that they were capable of that since their arrival, but if someone took the time to explain it to them, they could learn.
When they reached their destination, Allison was surprised to see that where they had gone was some sort of orchard. The trees, although not as large as the ones surrounding the cliff, were still much bigger than any apple or orange trees she had seen on Earth. And the fruit that clung to their branches was huge—the size of her head.
It was a beautiful scene, though. All of the Samou there were working together, planting, harvesting, whatever it was, and they seemed peaceful as they did so. Their blue skin almost sparkled in the sunlight that poured in through the leaves hanging above them. It was the first time that she noticed that the tribal patterns they all had hewn into their skin seemed to have flecks of silver or gold throughout. The sun would catch them and reflect back slightly. Looking out over the fields that sprawled out in front of her, it seemed like they sparkled.
“You will harvest,” Queane explained.
She took Allison to a small shack set up on the edge of the orchard. There, she gave her a basket, which was more like a large box. She then led her to the tree she was expected to work in and stood, looking up at it.
“How am I supposed to get up there?” Allison asked, peering up at the branches that hung at least ten feet above her head.
“Climb,” Queane replied dryly turning to walk away.
Allison watched the Samou around her, quickly and easily moving up and down the trees, tossing their fruit into the basket still on the ground. She dropped her basket and faced the trunk in front of her. Wrapping her arms around it, she tried to lift herself up. It was a miserable failure, and she stepped back quickly, staring at it with frustration.
She tried to jump but got nowhere near close enough to reach one of the branches. She tried again to climb the thing, but ended up on her back, staring up at the leaves hanging overhead.
It must have been half an hour of her trying and failing to climb the tree before someone behind her let out a hearty laugh.
She turned to see Hakona, standing just five feet from her, his arms crossed at his chest and an amused, degrading look on his face.
“You don’t climb trees on your planet?” he asked.
“Not ones like this,” she replied.
“If you don’t fill your basket, you don’t eat,” he said calmly.
“That’s not fair!” she answered quickly. “If I can’t even get in the damn tree, how the hell am I supposed to fill the basket?”
“You could try jumping again,” he offered.
“I’m glad you find this so funny.”
“Hilarious, actually.”
“Look, I’m trying okay?” she said. She could feel tears beginning to sting her eyes. She was exhausted, overwhelmed, and now humiliated. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve being there, and she just wanted to go home—to Earth.
His mocking expression faded, slightly. He looked at her, and for a second she thought she could see a look of compassion in his eyes.
His words, however, did not match that sentiment. "Your kind is so weak," he said.
She scoffed, feeling a single tear begin to run down her cheek. “And I’m probably the weakest of the group.”
She turned to look up at the tree again.
“Why do you say that?”
“I can’t even climb a damn tree!” she exclaimed.
He walked up behind her. She could feel the heat coming from his skin, and chills ran down her spine as she reached out and rested his hand on her hip.
“I’ll help you, just for today,” he said quietly.
She turned to look up at him. Her head didn’t even reach his shoulder, but he leaned forward and wrapped his other hand around her waist. As he did, his face only inches from her own, he whispered, “You’re stronger than you think, Allison.”
With that, he lifted her, effortlessly, up to the nearest branch. She grabbed on and pulled herself up. Once she was safely positioned, she turned to face him again, but he was already walking away.
She could still feel the warmth of his touch, wrapped tightly around her. As he disappeared into the trees around them, she let out a soft sigh. She had no idea what was going on. He was so cruel to her at times, but just then he was nice—almost sweet to her. She didn’t understand him, or his kind. She didn’t understand why they took her.
Trying not to let her thoughts overwhelm her too much, she began to work. She couldn’t think on an empty stomach, anyways. And if she didn’t fill her basket, she would go hungry.
To her surprise, she was able to fill the basket before the sun started to set in the distance. The fruit she had collected was all different colors. Some were red, others orange, and a few were pink. She didn’t know if they were ripe or not. No one had told her how to tell. So, she simply grabbed anything in her reach and tossed it down. She had missed the basket several times, and once on the ground again, she began moving around the trunk of her tree and collecting the stray fruit that had spread out around it.
“You did well,” she heard Queane say.
“Thank you,” she replied, not looking in the direction her voice had come from. “I didn’t know which were ripe and which weren’t,” she explained.
“They’re all fine.”
“Even though their different colors?”
She laughed slightly. “That doesn’t matter. These trees all produce multiple types of fruit.”
“So, they’re like hybrids?”
“Hybrids?” Queane asked, walking over and helping her collect the rest
of her stray fruit.
“You know, where you combine two different types of something to make one new type.”
"We didn't alter the trees if that's what you mean."
“Then how can they produce different fruit?” Allison asked. She stood up straight and turned to face her.
“Does that matter?”
Again, it was clear she was not going to answer her questions. “It would be interesting to know,” she said with a shrug, tossing the last of the fruit into the basket.
“Would it change anything? If we knew why the trees produce multiple types of fruit, would that change the fact that they do?” she asked. She walked over to where Allison was struggling to lift the very heavy wooden container.
“No,” she replied.
Queane grabbed onto one of the sides and waited for her to take hold of the other. “So, why does it matter?”
“Just to know, I guess,” she said.
They walked together back towards the camp, each holding onto one end of the basket. Queane had to hunch forward slightly, so as not to topple Allison over as she struggled to hold up her end of the cumbersome box.
“You aren’t curious?” Allison asked as they walked.
“About the trees again?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Queane said firmly. “I’m not. They provide me and my kind with food and nutrients. That is all that matters. There’s no need to question that.”
“But curiosity is what leads to progress,” Allison countered.
“And how has that worked out on your planet?” Queane shot back at her. “Your progress has lead you to nothing more than destruction. You alter things. You only want to know why they are the way they are so you can change them—hybrids.”
“A lot of good has come from it, though.”
“If it’s so good, then go back there. You and all your kind, just go back and leave us alone.”
“I wish I could,” Allison muttered.
They made their way back to the camp, where fires had been lit all around the outside of the caves. The soft glow they gave off made the scene appear almost inviting. It seemed like every one of the Samou were there. There must have been at least 100 of them, all gathered around, chattering quickly to each other in their native tongue.
They all worked in harmony, preparing the meal they would all share. Queane and Allison carried their basket over to the large pile, where they deposited the fruit.
“We will be eating soon,” Queane explained.
Allison was exhausted. All she really wanted at that point was to sleep, but her stomach grumbled slightly, and she knew it would be best if she ate something instead of asking to be taken back to her cell.
“You can sit and rest,” Queane said, noting her exhaustion.
She turned to find somewhere to relax. The Samou were all hurrying about, moving gracefully from one place to the next. It was amazing to her how they all worked in unison. There was no argument, as far as she could see, taking place anywhere. Some even seemed happy—as happy as they could seem with their naturally sour countenances. Their faces were still stern, but with a soft quality about them, that was almost welcoming.
She moved through them, none of them so much as even looking in her direction. She had been there less than a week, but apparently, she was already old news. They didn't seem curious about her, or even to have the slightest interest in the fact that she was there.
Not far from the fire, she found a log and plopped herself down. Her eyelids were heavy, and the warmth filled her and relaxed her muscles.
She should be afraid of them; she knew that. Given everything she knew they were capable of, they should instill fear in her simply by being near her. But, surprisingly, she wasn't. It could have been the exhaustion or the light-hearted atmosphere around her, but she felt relaxed.
“So, you can eat tonight,” Hakona said, walking up to her.
“I suppose I can,” she replied.
He took a seat next to her and looked out at his people. The light danced across his face, making his strong jawline appeared more defined, and his deep, dark black eyes seem soft. The scales which covered most of the right side of his face looked green in that lighting, instead of blue.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to engage with me,” she said, using Queane’s words.
“We’re not,” he replied, not turning to look at her.
“Then why are you?”
“I am responsible for you,” he replied. “I can speak with you if I wish.”
So, it would appear that Queane's answer that it was Hakona who had decided to take her was true. She felt slightly angered towards him but pushed those feelings down quickly. Instead, she decided to take advantage of his apparently and uncharacteristically soft demeanor and ask him a few of the questions that had been burning in her mind all day.
“You’re the leader warrior, or something like that, right?”
“Yes,” he said with a slow nod.
“Why?”
“Why?” he repeated with a curious laugh.
“I mean, why do your kind need warriors?” She looked back at the Samou, still busy with preparing the meal. “You seem to be all about peace and nature and such.”
“It’s not by choice,” he replied.
“Sure,” she sighed. “And that’s all you’ll tell me, right? Because it seems like giving straight answers isn’t something you people do.”
She turned to face him again. He was still looking down at her, a contemplative expression on his face.
“Your group isn’t the first to come to our planet,” he explained. “Many have come in an attempt to take it as their own. We need to protect it, and ourselves.”
“You mean other groups from other planets?” she asked.
“Why did you say you were the weakest of your group?” he asked, completely ignoring her question.
She rolled her eyes, knowing asking her question again would only lead to more aversion. “Because I’m not very strong, as you saw,” she replied bluntly. “I have no muscle or upper body strength.”
“It depends on how you define ‘strong’,” he replied.
“I think it’s a pretty universal concept.”
“That is what is wrong with your kind,” he said firmly. “You focus so much on the trivial things. You don’t care about what really matters.”
“I’m just going to say this now,” she said with a scoff, “I rarely ever understand what any of you mean when you say things like that.”
“Look around you,” he said slowly.
She did and turning back to him she raised her eyebrows and gave him an almost impatient expression. “Was that supposed to help me?”
He laughed. “Look at where you are, who you’re with.”
“I know—the Samou. A tribe of dragon-people who love nature and have blue skin and scales all over their bodies.”
“And that does not scare you?”
“Of course, it scares the living hell out of me!”
“You don’t act scared,” he pointed out.
“That’s not what you said the first day,” she reminded him.
“That was then; this is now.”
“Again with not giving me any straight answers!”
“You’re strong, Allison—up here,” he poked her head, playfully. “That’s what is really important.”
He smiled at her, this time, she was sure his expression was kind. "Why are you being nice to me?" she asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered bluntly. “But I should warn you—don’t get used to it.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” she replied with a half-hearted laugh.
Over his shoulder, she saw a woman walking towards them. She was tall, skinny, and beautiful. She had the same long dark hair, like Queane, but she was taller than her. She had long, muscular legs, and a confident air about her.
She began speaking to Hakona, who turned to address her. They spoke briefly, in their native
language. She seemed angry. Allison couldn’t be sure, but there was something in the way she eyed him that let her know she wasn’t happy with him.
When they finished, Hakona turned to face her again. “I will see you again soon.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
He pushed himself to his feet and walked to where the woman was waiting for him. She slipped her arms around his waist, and he draped his arm around her shoulder. They seemed to fit together perfectly—their bodies made for one another.
She turned back to face the fire. The warmth it provided comforted her, and kept away the crisp chill that was beginning to descend on them as the sun disappeared completely over the horizon.
She still had tons of questions running through her mind, and her body ached from working in the orchard. She couldn’t focus on anything else but the smell of the food, cooking over the open flames and the peaceful feeling that hung in the air.
Chapter 4: More Questions, No Answers
The next few days followed that same pattern. She was awoken early and given some fruit and water for breakfast. Shortly after, Queane would appear and take her out to the orchards again. Someone had fashioned a sort of ladder for her to use, and she was able to get in and out of the trees with no trouble.
Her body hurt from the work, however. She felt like all of her muscles were screaming at her as she lay down on her mat at the end of the day. She slept wonderfully, though. The physical exhaustion outweighing any natural feeling of worry or concern one would normally expect to have in a situation such as the one she found herself in.
She had formed a sort of friendship with Queane. Even though they weren’t supposed to speak very often, they did have interesting conversations on their treks to and from the fields. Of course, Queane never answered any of her questions clearly, but Allison was feeling like she was beginning to understand their kind a little more from their brief interactions.
They were not a skeptical people by nature, but when it came to her, they very much were. They viewed her as the enemy, and it didn’t matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to change that. She learned through her talks with Queane, that she, personally, wasn’t what they feared. It was what she represented. The mere fact that she was on their planet disturbed them. Even if Allison, herself, didn’t pose any immediate threat, the fact that hundreds, possibly thousands of others like her would soon be coming had very big implications for the Samou.
Hakona: Dragon Warrior (Scifi Alien Dragon Romance) Page 3
