“You missed vocal rehearsal AGAIN, Arielle. Not only is Ms. Hollingway furious, but she notified Mom and Dad this time! You’re NEVER going to make your way to Ansuul!”
Caroline’s threat hurt worse than the throbbing pain in Arielle’s shoulder from where she had grabbed her. She shifted in the saddle uncomfortably without replying, as Caroline heeled Annabelle’s loping canter into a gallop.
She looked over her shoulder woefully, yet still feeling mystified, as Ansuul’s neon lights began to fade out of sight. Arielle had a stubborn nature, and her grandiose dreams certainly reflected that. Her awe and wonder of the great Dragonruu race was shared among all human citizens of Denbyshire. But, Arielle yearned for more; she wanted to see humans become truly accepted among the Dragonruu, coexisting with them peacefully in both cities. But, the Dragonruu remained relentless in keeping their race pure and separate from humankind. They did not dare, nor care, ever to accept a human among their own kind as an equal. In fact, they only used the humans’ talents for entertainment purposes only.
Though the Dragonruu males and females were genetically modified into aesthetic perfection that always captivated the imperfect humans’ attention, they lacked inner beauty. They had no empathy, could not express compassion, and were unable to love. Thus, they were fascinated by both the frailty and range of emotions humans possessed and could portray through singing, dancing, or acting. However, the boundaries between the two races remained quite impermeable. Things had been that way ever since the Dragonruu’s wayward spaceship crashed upon Denbyshire’s shores over a hundred years ago.
The Dragonruu in that spaceship instantly knew upon their unplanned arrival that they had intruded onto a world they could easily rule over. Though they looked like beautiful human beings on the outside, possessed extremely high levels of intelligence, and had advanced sensory systems, they held an innate, dark secret: each Dragonruu was able to shape-shift quickly into a fierce, fire breathing, clawed and scaly dragon form, one that easily garnered the agility and strength of a thousand men to one. The Dragonruu’s ferocity was undeniable, and the human ancestors quickly ceded their land over to the beasts after a quick and brutal defeat. The sinister beings enslaved the humans and capitalized on their abilities and talents to invest in the construction of a newfound and permanent kingdom that would reside high above.
For the next generations of humans, some detested the Dragonruu and lived bitter lives with secret plans of some newfound form of vengeance. Others, like Arielle’s family, learned to accept the way things were and abide by Dragonruu law. Many families had built up a business rapport with the Dragonruu, who allowed civil exchanges of goods, and invited the most talented humans to perform in Ansuul. Rules were very strict and punishments were savage, so most humans lived in giddy fear and awe of the mesmerizing and intimidating Dragonruu. They often worked their entire lives just for a slim opportunity to be invited to play in the lavish kingdom Ansuul.
Arielle’s mother and sisters were seamstresses by day, sewing fanciful and original gowns that Dragonruu females sought out as novelty items to wear to big events and galas. Arielle’s father was a farmer – half of the profits he made from harvesting his crops and exporting them abroad were kept for the family, while the other half of the profits were collected every Friday evening at Twilight by the Dragonruu, during their regimented and precise once-a-week interaction with humans.
The Dragonruu were free to do as they pleased when they entered Denbyshire. They could overtake a family’s house and throw a wild party, vandalize stores or steal from homes, and some of the sadistic dragon men even picked young, female human virgins to take into the woods in order to have their way with them. Other more refined and dignified Dragonruu were interested in pursuing humans in business matters only. Accountants would collect half of all humans’ weekly earnings; talent agents would scout at weekly auditions for talented humans to back up to Ansuul to perform there.
Arielle finally twisted back around, gingerly holding tight to her sister’s slender frame as Annabelle galloped onwards towards their brick two-story home on the farm. Two of Arielle’s sisters had once been invited to personal callbacks by Dragonruu talent agents, but had been eliminated in a final round upon the agents’ final decisions. However, the girls were still awarded heavy amounts of prize money, which afforded the family to live in the modest home, as well as buy a horse and build a barn, which greatly aided in their father’s profession as a farmer. Arielle’s parents used most of the money they were allowed to keep to send their daughters to a performing arts school which specialized in vocals and theatre.
Caroline, the oldest of the five girls, was a senior; Olivia and Erika, who were identical twins, were juniors; Angela, the fourth child, was a sophomore, and Arielle, the youngest, was a precocious freshman at the prestigious school. It was clear in the first practice session to Ms. Hollingway, the school’s stern and competitive vocal coach, that Arielle’s voice not only outshone her older sisters’, but the entire freshmen class. Ms. Hollingway was blown away with Arielle’s natural talent and was eager to fine-tune her skills to help her land an audition. Ms. Hollingway knew Arielle would triumph over the other girls and be plucked from the group easily.
Arielle couldn’t help but steal one last glance back over her shoulder at the lights of Ansuul before black tree branches obscured them, as Annabelle pounded down the dirt pathway into the thick and spooky woods. Arielle dreaded the conversation with her parents and Ms. Hollingway. How could Arielle ever reveal her true dreams to anyone but the field fairies? She loved to sing, and she was confident in her nature-given talent, though she had a shier, more thoughtful demeanor than her sisters; Arielle was often lost in deep thought. She was also a very smart girl, and always curious.
She heard through the fairies that the jazzy facade of Dragonruu show business hid a somewhat dismal future for young human talent. Human performers were harshly treated as objects only, and not always celebrated in the magical way the human population was tricked into believing. The desired and “celebrated” human talent, once they were accepted into Ansuul, constantly vied to keep up their popularity to enjoy the rewards and riches. But bound by contract, they were never allowed to return home, as they were too valuable to the Dragonruu. Those performers who had grown weary from being hustled about from show to show by their pushy and greedy agents and had faded from the spotlight, usually tended to somehow mysteriously “disappear” in the big city, and their friends and families never heard from them and about their adventures in Ansuul ever again.
Arielle believed in the gossip from the travelling fairies she had befriended in the Outlands, and she refused to be marketed as a mere object. If she ever had her chance at fame in Ansuul, she dreamed that she would somehow teach the Dragonruu equality and acceptance of the human race. And, a secret fantasy throbbed deep within her young and spirited soul. She wondered, would it ever be possible for a human and Dragonruu to fall in love? She knew better than to voice her wonderings and desires to any other human. Even daring to think such thoughts was considered taboo. Dragonruu fed off the emotions elicited within them from human performers, like a recreational drug. But once the show was over, the feeling faded. They too, knew deep down that they were incapable of ever loving a human, and even each other, for that matter. It was awkward and uncomfortable for the Dragonruu even to bring up the subject of “love”. They only mated with their own kind for procreation, or divulged in lusty encounters with each other or the poor hapless humans back in Denbyshire for sheer physical pleasure.
As the lights of Ansuul vanished completely behind the night foliage, Arielle came back to her senses from her reverie, finally turning to face forward into the whipping wind. As she strained her eyes to focus on the ominous woods ahead, a single tear squeezed out, quickly drying in the harsh and chilling air. This part of travel through the woods back and forth to her refuge was always intimidating, and now she just wanted to return home, though it was with dread
, as she knew her parents would be furious to find out where she had been. One of her nosy younger sisters had ratted on her once again, and Caroline, as the oldest and most responsible, was sent out to fetch her once again. When was Arielle ever going to learn to follow the rules? But that was just it – she didn’t want to follow the rules. Her nervous heartbeat was competing with the drum of Annabelle’s hooves. She and Caroline were silent the rest of the ride home.
*****
Zefelli awoke quickly, sitting straight up in the pitch blackness. He had been sleeping so soundly only moments ago, with a harmonious, angelic voice filling his dreams. Now, the sound of thundering hooves neared as he peered out from around the side of the cavernous wall and squinted his blurry vision into focus, catching a flash of a sterling mare barreling its way to the winding woods, with what appeared to be two young humans on its back. Humans? Daring to stray out this far? Zefelli wondered to himself, as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. And then, his laser-like vision zoomed in on the flaming red hair of one of the girls.
Zefelli was hidden high above in a cave, where there was no possible way for the girls to catch sight of him. As they were being carried away towards the winding woods, he hoped they were headed towards safety. He could smell their adrenaline-fueled panic that was being drowned out by what must have been their more usual and lovely gardenia female scent. The strawberry-haired maiden was looking back over her shoulder, with her big, doe-like eyes glinting light from Ansuul overhead. Her plush, pink lips were pouting. He had never seen a young, beautiful human look so mournful.
What happened to them out here? Why did she gaze at Ansuul in what seemed to be such a longing way? And, didn’t she realize that she was supposed to follow orders and go through selection processes, if she ever had real hopes of making it to Ansuul? Zefelli was quite familiar with the humans’ fascination for Ansuul. Honestly? Sometimes, their naive visions of grandeur to exist among his fellow ruthless dragon people and their aggressively progressive, cutthroat society, shrouded in the clouds so far above, hailing as some futuristic nirvana – rather all disgusted him. Perhaps that is why he enjoyed this hidden and isolated spot he had discovered here - a deep cave that was far too high for humans to climb into. He had flown to it in his dragon form some time earlier, to find true peace and quiet from the hectic bustle of Ansuul.
Zefelli reluctantly realized he needed to get home, too. He slowly rose to his feet, running a hand through his curly brown locks, gazing at the human girl until she disappeared into the rough and tall thickets of the black forest. The sparkly, ginger-haired beauty had truly baffled him, as the memory of the lovely music he had just heard in his dreams here in the cave delightfully returned to his head.
Zefelli, a young Dragonruu prince, lived a life of riches behind an exclusive, gated, suburban area made up of a cloister of neighboring castles. His resilient family clan had earned royalties from generations back, and he had grown up more privileged than even common Dragonruu, who lived in superior sophistication in compared to humans. But, Zefelli tired of all the parties, traditional royal balls, and social galas that he and other gregarious clans attended to almost nightly, if they so chose to do so. All the female Dragonruu looked like clones of one another; perfectly proportioned size two models with pert breasts, slender legs, and tiny noses. He found himself no longer attracted to them. His eyes even began to wander towards male Dragonruu, which was not taboo in their society; but within his own family, it was indeed. They planned on Zefelli marrying one of his father’s comrades’ socialite daughters, to keep the family name and reputation perfectly polished.
Zefelli would sometimes go in big groups down to Denbyshire on Fridays through the Tube, melding in with the crowd, but still feeling empty and alone inside. One night, after an evening of mindless partying, he had staggered away from the crowded streets and slipped into the shadows, numbly searching in the dark. He was lost, physically in the moment, and in his life. Where was his life going? He wondered, what if he could choose to do whatever he wanted to do, without massive repercussions? Serenading crickets filled his ears and the cobblestone street had turned to grass beneath his bare feet. He had somehow lost his shoes during the wild party, but the solid earth felt good between his toes; a reprieve from the city streets and the concrete jungle that was Ansuul. He continued to walk farther and farther into the woods, pondering his life in his vapid and hazed state, trying to find himself.
The air felt different in the woods; fresher, and easier to breathe. He heard the sprinkling sound of a distant waterfall and allowed the moon to light his twisted path. His eyes located a dark hole near the top of the rushing waterfall. Almost too drunk to shift form, he managed to fly sideways into the edge of the cave, crashing inside into its thick, rock walls, and everything went entirely black. Was he dead? During the night, a beautiful voice echoed through the cavern, making him dream that he was in the heavens. When he awoke at dawn the next morning, a throbbing headache told him he was still alive, and he sharply snapped to his senses. He had stumbled, in his night wanderings, into what would become his place of solace: an empty cave tucked away into the cliffs of the Outlands, which seemed to hold onto the echoes of the most beautiful singing he had ever heard. From his home city above, the glimmering skyscrapers reflected the rising sun, as well as a wide and spanning view below him of the greenery that was Denbyshire. The whole universe was his, all to himself. He vowed to come back to this place, whenever he felt troubled and needed to reabsorb some true human nature.
No one ever ventured out this far, so when Zefelli finally lost sight of Arielle, he was determined to know if the beautiful voice he heard in his dreams; tonight, the night he first discovered the cave, and a few other nights as well, belonged to one of the girls making their getaway. Was there perhaps a human girl out there, with a streak of rebellion that matched his own? Whose soul yearned to break free from Dragonruu-ruled Denbyshire, with its oppressive rules and laws? Zefelli knew he had to return home, but it was with a racing and anxious heart. He almost felt ashamed, as he transitioned back into the swooping, fearsome, black-scaled dragon. He looked forward to tomorrow night. It was Twilight Friday again. He planned to find the rebellious redhead again.
“So lemme get this straight – we ARE going to Denbyshire tonight, but we’re not taking the Tube with everyone else?” Aadall asked Zefelli, as they made their way through the school’s courtyard. Zefelli made a motion with his hand to shush Aadall, not wanting others nearby to hear. He put his strong arm around his best friend’s equally strong back, ushering them away towards the parking lot down the hill. “Yes, I have that secret place to show you that I found a few weeks ago. It’s super quiet, so you know, we can....”, Zefelli squeezed Aadall’s neck, sending small, exciting tremors of pleasure all throughout Aadall’s body. Aadall looked into his handsome friend’s eyes with a knowing smirk, and simply said, “Meet me on my roof, right after Twilight when everyone’s already left, and I’ll bring the booze.” Zefelli patted his friend on the back approvingly. Nothing more needed to be said. He decided to make a stop at the liquor store himself, just in case Aadall forgot their favorite lemon beverage. Zefelli could already feel his smooth, black scales tighten and pulse deep beneath his muscled arms in excitement and anticipation of their daring night ahead.
Arielle tapped her foot nervously in frustration in the large, empty theatre, as she was being held after class to have a talk with Ms. Hollingway about her absences. Finally, Ms. Hollingway called her over towards the front of the stage, as she adjusted her glasses in preparation to look over paperwork with Arielle.
“Sweetheart, you’ve missed three practices, so you do know that this means you do not get to go to auditions tonight.” Ms. Hollingway had a somewhat impatient and condescending tone to her voice. She searched Arielle’s face for a response, as Arielle seemed to be uninterested and failed to make eye contact with her. “Arielle, do you understand?” She adjusted her glasses again in agitation and shuffled the papers.
Arielle finally glanced back over at Ms. Hollingway and responded meekly. “Yes ma’am.” She signed some forms of documentation, but remained quiet, not ever once trying to plead her case in explanation for her absences. Ms. Hollingway studied the young copper-headed beauty, wondering if Arielle really cared about her potential, and bright future ahead that could be in Ansuul.
“You know, you just have such a gift, Arielle. I don’t understand why you would waste it away like this,” said Ms. Hollingway.
Arielle stopped in her tracks and turned to finally look Ms. Hollingway in the eye. “I love to sing, Ms. Hollingway, I truly do. But, I don’t want my whole life to be just about singing. There is more to me as a person than just my voice. There is more to my inner being, and to my hopes and dreams. Because what I truly want – what I truly want is....” Arielle didn’t know how to end her sentence. She suddenly felt like the biggest fool. Ms. Hollingway would never, ever understand. It was clear she already saw Arielle as just a bratty, unappreciative freshman who didn’t like to be told what to do. So, it was hopeless. “I’m sorry,” she managed to choke out, before turning her back to hurry away and avoid any further discussion. She knew she could easily slip away tonight, while her sisters would be busy with auditions and with her parents fussing over them, as they made sure everything was in proper order with hopes of shaking hands and making deals with the sneaky Dragonruu agents.
Zefelli was pacing nervously in the shadows of Aadall’s rooftop. He took a swig of their favorite lemon-flavored liqueur, trying to calm his nerves. It was now past Twilight, and the starts had begun to shine. All the Dragonruu who wished to pay a visit to Denbyshire today had already left. Fireworks from a fair down in Denbyshire were already popping up and sputtering away in tiny rainbow colored clouds of smoke as Zefelli watched from his perch, high atop the castle roof that gave a clear view below. As more fireworks popped, they made him jump, making him feel like a moron for being so easily frightened and on edge right now. He just wanted Aadall to hurry up and get here. He took another hasty drink of the liqueur.
Alien Mate Page 92
