Terrineia

by Brian Whiting

  “It seems they are delicate with their books.” Symboli suggested.

  Over the next eight hours Alex read aloud every third word contained in the book. To give the appearance he was learning the words, while leaving the actual work to Symboli. However, before he was a third of the way through the book Alex was learning the words at the same pace as Symboli now that he felt he understood the rules of phonetics. His enhanced brain was putting the pieces together with seemingly little effort and he thought for a few moments about the Gothan doctor that had altered him.

  When he finished reading only one of the adults were still in the room with him, but left the room when Alex looked up from the book. Alex exited and found Alesti was asleep in the very next room. He carefully touched her shoulder to wake her. Her eyes popped fully open and she sat up straight.

  “Do you understand me?” She asked Alex.

  “Yes, I do.” Alex responded with a smile. Symboli didn’t even translate for him. He knew it himself.

  She seemed suddenly giddy and couldn’t hold back a huge smile. Then as if a switch had been flipped she became serious.

  “Do you remember the first words I spoke to you?” Alesti asked Alex.

  “You mean after you screamed in terror?”

  She smiled, and it pleased him he could make her smile. He felt more confident that he was translating correctly. “Not really,” he replied honestly.

  Alesti stood up and wandered the room briefly.

  “Are we ok here?” Alex asked wondering about their location.

  “Tssst…” She made a face that gave him the impression that she was offended.

  “Yes, we should be fine here. My name is Alesti Val Yesuli. My family ruled this realm. That was until Unbiter and his followers murdered my family.” She took a moment before she continued.

  “My mother, father, brothers, sister, aunts and uncles were all killed by Unbiter. I fled for my life, I ran to someone I thought I could trust. I was wrong, he and his men sided with Unbiter. They captured me and were bringing me back. I managed to escape them then stole a juntard to flee into the dangerous flatlands hoping they would not follow me, but they did and eventually caught up with me. I was about to hear my death note when I prayed to my God Huvalla to send me her warrior to defeat my enemies and in return I would give my life to him. She sent her warrior on the largest chariot that has ever been seen and crushed my enemies in the flatlands. When more came to finish the job, you killed them with God’s power. You brought me back from the dead and we escaped. I will never go against you, I am yours to command forever.”

  “Well… I need to fix a couple things in your story for the sake of truth. My name is Alex Prager, I am from the planet Earth at a very distant star from here. My ship, what you called a chariot, was attacked by a powerful alien race and I crashed on this planet. I need to return to space so I can warn my people that a powerful and deadly alien race is coming to destroy them.”

  “Probably too direct.” Symboli suggested.

  “Stay out of it.” Alex whispered.

  “What do you mean, stay out?” Alesti asked.

  “I was talking to Symboli.”

  “Is Symboli a warrior?”

  “No, Symboli never leaves his tank, he’s a… organic but artificial lifeform, and he comes from another planet too.”

  “I’m not sure if I should be offended or impressed with your creative definition.” Symboli responded with reduced volume.

  “You do not know of Huvalla? You have never met her… you are her lover, true?” She sounded like she was spiraling into confusion.

  “I am sorry, if Huvalla exists I have never met her.”

  “But you have God’s powers!” She said louder with outstretched hands.

  “It’s a common weapon among my people.” Alex said knowing he knew nothing about the weapon. Since it came with the ship he helped steal.

  “You brought me back from the dead!”

  “That was pretty remarkable actually. But we got lucky that the first aid kit worked, without Symboli giving me direction you certainly would have died.”

  Alex watched as she slowly collapsed to the floor, her face expressing deep pain and eventually a barely audible moan was heard. Standing there, not sure what to do, he froze feeling unprepared to handle this. Then several men walked into the building. She abruptly stopped and looked up at them.

  “What have you done to her? Did you strike her?” One of the men asked.

  “No, I did not strike her, she morns all on her own, I have done nothing.” Alex said with a slight panic. Wondering why they would jump to such a conclusion.

  “He speaks true, he told me that he never met Huvalla,” she replied moving to a kneeling position.

  The men in the room exchanged glances with each other for a few moments.

  “Tissst, I’ve never believed in that feebleness. Come Alex, I have prepared a feast in your honor.”

  Alex stepped forward and reached down to Alesti to help her up, but she didn’t move.

  “Leave her, she has no place at my table any longer.” The older of the men said.

  “What is your name, sir?” Alex asked his would be older host.

  “You speak to Buitsi May Fineri.”

  “Buitsi, if you would like my company at your table, then you will accept her’s as well.”

  Buitsi looked down upon Alesti who abruptly stood up and looked him in the eyes. He didn’t take more than a moment to respond.

  “Yes of course, please bathe before you join the table. We will await your arrival. Polack here will assist you.”

  Buitsi turned away with a couple other men. Polack was left remaining. “If you would follow my steps, I can lead you to our clean hole.”

  Alex reached his elbow out towards Alesti, more out of a habit somehow assuming she would latch on. Instead all he received was an odd glance and a faint breeze as she walked past him.

  They were lead behind the main building where three walls were erected around what appeared to be a small three foot wide hole in the ground of unknown depth. Two very old woman stood just on either aside of the hole as if waiting for something. There was a fluid of some kind, probably water, that was overflowing from the hole at a very slow pace, the water was draining out towards the flatlands very far in the distance.

  “Go ahead, you have the honor of first.” Polack said to Alex.

  “I… uhh… pass that honor unto Alesti.”

  She looked at him oddly as she walked towards the old woman.

  One of the old women held up a very long stick, attached to it was a sheet that blocked the sight of those present. The other old woman began to get agitated and glared, not at all in a friendly way, towards Alex.

  “It is our custom you turn away if one is bathing.” Polack said as he glared at Alex’s bald head.

  Alex spun on his heels and faced the back of the building. Within a few seconds Alex heard a subtle splash of water, followed by a rush of movement and quick whispers.

  It couldn’t have been more than a minute before Alesti was walking past him with a clean garment on. Alex couldn’t believe was he saw. Even in the dwindling light of evening, he could tell her skin seemed much softer, her bone crest that once appeared a mixture of light brown and grey was now a well defined light purple, pink and blues. Her hair seemed silky with bounce as if it wasn’t suffering for days in a desert.

  “We do not have all night, stranger.” One of the old woman stated.

  Alex turned and walked to the hole. Which seemed mirky now and was a foot reduced in fluid. However the height of liquid slowly began to rise and finally the fluid began to pour over the edge once again. A carpet of dirt and debris that was on the surface of the liquid, slid away as if it was an oil bubble, leaving a clear and crisp hole once again. Looking to the side he saw what appeared to be several towels tossed into a pile and fresh ones folded, ready for use.

  “Alex, I suspect that is not water.”

  “Yeah
no kidding.” He replied in English as the old woman began removing objects and clothing from Alex.

  With a bit of help from himself he stood naked, the other old woman had raised the sheet for him. However, both woman froze, they couldn’t look away from his manliness. It must appear odd to them, Alex thought to himself, wondering what they were accustomed to.

  “Please forgive me, I know that you know you’re deformed, but were you born that way?” The eldest asked without looking away.

  “Yes, now what do I do?” Alex said eager for the process to finish.

  “Get in.”

  Alex kneeled next to the hole and dipped his finger in. Instantly the dirt and oils lifted away as if they touched some kind of super cleaner. The water seemed warm and inviting.

  “What are you doing? Stop playing around and jump in.”

  Without hesitation he stood up and then stepped into the hole, displacing a large amount of water over the rim. Alex never got his head wet and one of the woman placed her foot on his head and pushed down. A moment later he popped his head back up. The moment his head rose above the water he wanted to protest but they were trying to fish him out of the hole as if paniked.

  “Aren’t you going to help us?” one of the woman asked.

  “I need to get ou – “ Alex stopped mid-sentence, noticing a burning sensation on his finger and other more sensitive areas on his body. Without delay he pulled himself out of the water, his eyes began to sting terribly. The old woman were roughly dragging towels across his face and body. The burning sensation was getting worse it, felt like his body was out too long in the hot sun.

  The moment his parts were dry from the towels the burning sensation faded. The old women were not shy in getting all the crevices of his body dry of fluids. When they finished they handed him a males outfit.

  “I would like to wear my clothes.” Alex said.

  “Why, they are hideous?” The younger of the two old woman said.

  Alex pulled the thin headset off a stump and put it on first. He stood there naked and waiting.

  “You are a stubborn one, I speak true.” She grabbed Alex’s clothing and dipped them in the water and pulled them out.

  “They will have to dry first, and it is not light out. I doubt they survive the night.”

  Alex looked at his finger which seemed red and slightly inflamed, although there was no longer any pain.

  “I think there’s a bit of acid in there. That was a acid bath.” Alex whispered as he put on the male garment that was provided. The fabric felt thin and weak, the colors were faded, it did not give Alex the impression of softness.

  The stick that had been set in a hole in the ground, finally the old woman removed it with the sheet attached and let it fall to the ground. Polack and Alesti both turned around at the sound of the stick hitting the ground.

  “How do you feel?” Alesti asked.

  Alex touched his skin for the first time, it was silky smooth. In fact, never in his life did he ever experience such joy touching his own skin, it was a sensory pleasure, nothing like he ever experienced.

  At some point Alex realized Alesti and Polack had just spent some time watching Alex touch and rub himself. “I feel great.” Alex responded, completely embarrassed.

  Without saying anything else, Polack turned and led them to the feasting tables.

  “So tell me, who is this man that you trust, Buitsi? Will he betray you like the last man that you trusted?” Alex whispered to Alesti.

  “I do not know him well, but no man has sent more betrothal requests for my crest than he did. My father said he did not have enough wealth for my worth. Eventually, I reached of age and the choice to choose my mate became my own, I refused him and all the others, which was my folly. Had I chosen a suitor I doubt my family would have suffered this horrendous betrayal, now it is too late.”

  “Too late for what?” Alex asked, he assumed it had to do with her dead family but he wasn’t sure.

  “It’s too late for me to join with any man, I have passed the age.”

  Polack opened the front doors to the main building in the small village, there was a brightness and huge space with many things to catch ones attention: a skull with three horns sticking out of its head, branches tied together in such a way that it could only have been artfully done. Alex was more interested in the conversation yet to be had than the decorations.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-nine.” Alesti responded as they crossed into the large room.

  Alex recalled while he was reading and learning their words. That the age of a person was not defined by the local orbit of the sun or any other local patterned event. In fact he was still a bit lost on the details.

  “Really… cool, I a-“

  “You should ask about their lifespan to get context.” Symboli suggested. Alex was irritated Symboli interrupted him.

  “How old does one typically get before they die?” Alex asked to placate Symboli.

  She returned his gaze with disbelief. “Those old ladies out back are near death and they are before sixty.”

  He might have guessed eighty or ninety even. They appeared far too old for their age and Alesti appeared far to young for hers. Music started playing and it caught their attention. Several men were sitting on tall stools holding what appeared to be deadly bows, each of them holding an arrow. When they dragged the arrow shaft across the string they produced amazingly powerful musical notes and it was obvious they had practiced, the music was measured and had a catchy cadence.

  “Alex, please, my men are hungry and we have waited for you, join me.” Said Buitsi as he sat at the head of a long table, along with many people from the small village.

  Alex and Alesti made their way to the head table near the front of the large room. Buitsi was seated with a plate of food waiting in front of him. He wore thick green garments, and large heavy golden earrings hung from his bone crest.

  Alex and Alesti sat together on Buitsi’s left side. The moment they sat in the chair a loud dong was heard in the room and everyone seated in the room began their meal. Buitsi didn’t speak, instead he began pulling food apart. Alex was instantly interested in how everyone he could see began pulling their meat and food apart and creating small piles of food on their plates. Each pile would contain a little bit of each kind of food available at the table.

  Looking down Alex saw a breast of meat of some kind, off white in color. Woven in the meat was some kind of intracate, but thin bone. There was also a red gelly substance and something long, white with specks of green, a tube of something. Everyone was busy making piles, even Alesti gave him no attention as she piled her food. Only the music players were watching him with utmost curiosity as they continued playing music. Alex picked up the white tube and bit into it. It reminded him of a stick of celery, crossed with sugar cane, it was surprisingly delicious. He quickly ate the rest of the tube.

  Alex glanced up at the music players when one of them missed a note and saw they all had shocked expressions on their faces and were staring at him. Alex looked around to try and see what the issue was, and it didn’t take long for him to notice no one had food in their mouth, they were mearly compiling all the food into tiny piles on their plates.

  He continued to take in the scene. “Alex, perhaps you should mimic your hosts, this is undoubtedly their custom.” Alex thought about it for a couple minutes and tore off a piece of meat then shoved it into his mouth. He was a practical man and whatever they were doing wasent practical at all, in fact it seemed rather pointless. In this regard they would need to adopt his way of eating. He quickly caught the attention of Buitsi who had just finished piling food.

  “The entire realm saw your chariot fall from the sky, both realms I imagine, and the gods sent you to aid Alesti?” Buitsi wiped his fingers clean.

  Alex stumbled on the phrasing a moment, not quite sure if that was a question or if he wasn’t translating the words correctly.

  “I know of no gods, my ship
crashed on this planet after a great battle in space.”

  “Space…” Buitsi said slowly as if he heard the word long before. “Why did your ship crash?”

  Alex’s patience suddenly inexplicably vanished, he wasn’t sure why, perhaps it was the music players that continued to stare, or the odd glances he kept getting from everyone in the room. Maybe the fact that his finger still irritated him. Whatever it was, he felt he was losing control and was at a loss for an appropriate response.

  “I kept having dreams about the end of all life in the universe. So I traveled to the humani and participated in the theft of an experimental spacecraft capable of traveling lightyears in a matter of minutes. When I reached my destination I found a unstoppable enemy so I returned to warn my people but the enemy found and attacked me. My hull integrity failed and I lost my engines which put me in orbit over your planet, your gravity caught me and I crashed in this stinky marshland with killer underground worms. Alesti illegally boarded my ship and got herself killed. I then had to do something I never did before and bring someone back to life, only to be hunted down by primitive locals whose only method to wash oneself is to chemically burn the outer layers of their skin off. So my ship crashed… but hell its been an interesting week for me.”

  The music had stopped in the room. Everyones attention was focused on Alex. He suddenly felt like his mouth got him into trouble again.

  “Alex, if you care to know I calculate that your host probably only understood about a third of what you just said.”

  “I don’t care.” Alex whispered in English.

  “Did God give you any powers or instructions?” Buitsi asked.

  Alex forced a deep sigh, he had understood nothing.

  “Yes I have seen it, it’s most deadly, he controls the voice of God and it pierces your mind killing one instantly.” Alesti spoke with seriousness.

  “I would like a demonstration of this power.” Buitsi looked upon Alex expectantly.

  “Perhaps, but first I have some questions if you don’t mind.” Alex wondered If he wanted to test it on a real person and decided to change the subject.