by Beth Wright
likely talking about how weak I am. Or maybe they are talking about how Vultar is treating me like a child. They could also be talking about how I seem to let my thoughts go on and on… oh, dang it. Everyone stops talking then they all start to laugh.
"Forget we can hear you, Setiana," Vultar chuckles lightly.
"Yes, once again I am the idiot who forgets about all of you mind readers," I soon reply softly.
He lowers his cloak and then touches my chin with his free hand. "You are no idiot, dear. Forgetting something so new to you does not make you one." He bends down and lightly kisses my forehead. He starts to walk behind the others once more. This time I can see our surroundings. This world seems to be much like mine except for the different people. The trees are so beautiful and the flowers on the ground are so plentiful. Everything around us seems so breathtaking. "May I walk now?" My words come out in a small whisper, for I did not want anyone else to hear me. But of course, little laughs come from some of the men around us. Vultar smiles at me and then lowers me ever so gently to the ground. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, Love." He kisses my forehead again before we both start to walk. "By the way dear, we were talking about you and still are." His smile widens when he sees my look of astonishment and confusion. "Nothing bad, I assure you, Love." He places his hand over mine as we walk. This makes feelings of warmth and love, fill my head. I feel lifted like some school girl’s fantasy of what love is supposed to feel like. "Yes, Setiana, this is what true love feels like." He chuckles as I feel my blush coming on.
Tronarc then shows up on my other side. He keeps his pace beside us. After a while of silence he then says, "We were talking about how amazing it is to see my father smiling and happy." He smiles then looks down at me. I can't help but smile back at him. "He has never smiled nor has he ever been happy in his life." Some of the warriors turn and smile at us from time to time while we are walking. "They are glad their leader is happy for once in his five billion years of life."
"Your five billion years old?" My question slipped out so fast I didn't have time to think about what I was saying.
Tronarc laughs, "I am a little over four billion years of life."
What? That’s not possible. They are all so buff, healthy, strong, and so do not look like the people back home that are in old age. How did they manage to make it to four and five billion years of age when most of us humans can't make it to one hundred?
"Don't worry, Setiana, now that you are here in our world you will make it way past one hundred. Plus, your body will not age from this day forward."
And again my thoughts are no secret to these men. After walking and talking with Vultar and Tronarc for three hours or more, I have learned a lot about them and their people. Like Vultar has six mates and Tronarc has three. So I guess I am number seven of Vultar's mates. I learned they have so many mates so that their kind does not die out. The females only have one child every five hundred to one thousand years, if that. Vultar has over four hundred sons and fifty daughters. Tronarc has over two hundred sons and thirty daughters. Their village is in a giant underground cavern.
Sight of a waterfall comes into view. Vultar tells the others we will rest here for a little while. That sounds good to me. My feet are starting to form blisters on them. Trying to keep this out of my thoughts is getting harder and harder. Noticing no one seems to be tired or even a bit bothered by all the walking. I try my best to keep these thoughts of soreness and tiredness out of my mind. I so do not want to slow them down with my weak human ways. I will just sit here near the base of the waterfall and dip my feet into the cool water, trying my best to keep my back towards the others so they will not see the pain written on my face right now.
"Why did you not tell me you are in pain, Setiana?" Vultar's voice comes from behind me like a swift caressing breeze.
"Was I thinking about it?" I don't remember thinking about the pain. "I did not want to slow you guys down," I soon reply when I notice the hurt written in his eyes. "I'll be fine, it's just a little bit sore."
He kneels down and takes my feet into his hands. His hands turn warmer and then a warm sensation takes over both of my feet. "They will be fine now that I have healed them," he states to me while staring at my legs. "Your whole body is tired and aching." He looks up to my eyes. "From now on I will be carrying you. I will not stand by and let you be in any pain."
"We do not want you ever to be hurt or in any pain, Setiana." Tronarc says as he kneels down beside his father.
"Okay, I can't help this, but I need to ask." I soon realize I need to put my heart and soul out in the open. "Why do you care so much about what happens to me? You have six other mates waiting for you." I said it, and I can't believe I asked such a very personal question to Vultar in front of all of his warriors, guards, leaders, and son. I really don't expect him to answer, since it is a childish and jealous question. Or at least that's what it feels like to me.
"It's not childish, Dear, and being jealous is normal when you love someone. As I told you earlier I am just yours and you are mine from this day forward, Love. Once we are home I will tell the other mates to leave our dwelling for they are no longer my mates." He says all of this while stroking the side of my face gently with his fingers.
"You are going to tell them they are no longer your mates? Won't that make them mad?"
"Probably since they only wanted to be a leader's mate." He then smiles at me. "Do not fear, Love, you have plenty of warriors and guards that will be helping me to keep you safe."
Tronarc then starts to laugh softly. "Don't forget you also have all of us sons to help you as well."
"Yeah, there are a lot of sons." I giggle softly at Tronarc’s smile. I then realize my life from now on may just be a happy one. "Did we just stop here because of me?" I soon ask them when I noticed no one else is resting. They are all standing in groups talking and watching us from time to time.
"Yes, we felt your pain," Vultar soon replied. Tronarc bows his head in agreement with his father. "And, Dear, we do not think of you as a weak human. You are a lot stronger then you know," Vultar says as he places one arm around my back and the other one under my legs. He then stands and nods his head at the rest of the men.
"’Tis true, Setiana, you are not as weak as you think." Gontar then says, "All of the other human females before you, they went crazy from being in the complete darkness." He starts to laugh. "They even screamed and started to try to squeeze through the bars when the lights where on and they saw us."
"Really," I start to laugh, picturing a bunch of girls trying to squeeze through bars. "That does seem like that would have been amusing to watch."
Vultar laughs and replies, "It was very amusing." His eyes sparkle anew with warmth.
Turning my attention back to the group of men in front of us, I watch them walk together as one big family. All of the men proceed to talk about things in their language again. So I decide this is the best time to take a nap. Vultar moves his one arm out from under my legs. Ever so gently he lays his fingertips to my forehead then whispers, "Rest, Beautiful, and when you wake we will be home." Warm sensations then starts to flood thru my mind and head. My eyes start to feel as if I haven't slept in weeks. Before I knew it, I soon started to drift off to sleep.
I hear voices and laughter. Vultar's sweet voice flows into my head.
Sleep well, love?
I feel as if I am trapped in a wonderful dream. Could I have really found love in this dream world? If so, I never want to wake up. His soft laughter is now dancing through my thoughts.
Setiana, it is not a dream. You are here with me, in my arms. Open your eyes and see for yourself.
Following his words I soon open my eyes to find myself staring into his.
"There are my beautiful blue eyes I have missed seeing." He smiles, which in turn brings a smile to my face. "You need to eat, Dear." He then places some kind of small fruit into my hand. It resembles an apple in shape and touch, but it is a purple color, and has a smell
sort of like strawberries. I stare at it in my hand for a while before I finally decide to bite into it. The juice flows into my mouth. Wow, it tastes like a strawberry mixed drink from back home. I can't help but eat it little by little trying to savor the taste. I never want to run out of this wonderful taste. It is so delicious and a wonderful tingling sensation fills my mouth and throat as I continue eating it. Those around us start to laugh. Vultar then smiles down to me. "We have plenty. Eat as much as your little heart desires." He positions my body in a more upright position and then turns me to the table in front of us. I feel like a child at Christmas time sitting on Santa’s lap waiting to tell him what I want for Christmas. In front of us is a big long rectangle table. We are sitting on one side facing what seems to be their village. I turn my head to see others on our sides at this table as well. All who are sitting with us are beautifully decked out in gold and black armor. Smiles start to appear on all their faces. Once again I am a prisoner to my own thoughts. They all laugh lightly and Vultar pulls me back to rest my back against his chest. He accepts a big wooden tray from another who is in black and red armor. I wonder why there are different colors to their armor.
An unknown voice from our table then speaks up, "Gold and black are the colors of us leaders. Red,
