CHAPTER ELEVEN
ALEXANDRA
“That's it? That is your home?” I said as the ship flew low over the ocean toward an island paradise in the distance.
“Yes, that is our village. This is my home,” Ineq said.
“I can see why you love it. It is absolutely beautiful. The colors are vibrant, and the plants are big and lush. I cannot believe how tall the trees are. What is that in the trees?”
“Those are homes. We have small cottages in the trees. We are creatures that can fly, remember? Those are bridges that link the homes to each other in the trees.”
“That is amazing. It is like a fairy village up high in the trees. What else?”
“Down below is the main area of the village. There are communal kitchens, and that is where all of the Draqua gather to eat and be together. Most of the activity takes place on the ground. In the trees is for sleeping, and homes. The grounds are for the market, kitchens, and of course our warriors’ military installations. We will be landing at a port inside the installation. You will see. You will have a lot of time to see all of this. There are pristine white sand beaches all around the island with crystal-clear blue water.”
“Yes, I can see that from here. It is beautiful,” I said looking down at the beautiful white beaches as we came closer to the shore. It was a tropical paradise. This was like a destination on Earth that people went to for vacation, but these aliens lived here year-round. This was their home, and it was astounding. I could not wait to look around. But first things first: the commander and Camilla.
The ship landed just as Ineq said, in an area where there were many warriors. I was amazed to see so many roaming around in their loincloths. In the sky, a few were flying around. I thought I saw objects flying that looked bigger, but I didn't get a good look. I was concerned about the commander. I unbuckled my belt and went immediately to the back. I heard the door open and commotion set in.
“Where is he? Where is Commander Vrerkin? Put him on the stretcher,” I heard as four Draqua came into the ship. They quickly grabbed Commander Vrerkin and put him on a stretcher and let him out. The captain was barking orders at them. It was all so crazy. I walked out the ship door and onto a podium. It was what the ship landed on, like a helicopter pad. It was then that I got a good look around. It took my breath away.
“Beautiful,” I whispered. The trees towered over us about a hundred feet in the air. I could see a better view of the cottages in the trees, as well as the bridges. There were massive plants, and the sky was blue. The sea breeze hit me, and it smelled like ocean water mixed with Jasmine. It was very thick and calming.
“It is time,” the captain walked up to me.
“Time for what?”
“I will take you to a hut that will be yours. We need to do this quickly. I need to make the arrangements to see the king as soon as possible. I need to know that you are in a safe place first.”
“The king? I want to see the king as well. I want to ask him about a rescue mission for Camilla,” I said.
He raised eyebrows me. “You cannot adjust see the king. You must be summoned. You will learn our ways. For now, I will do what I can. Follow me,” he said.
I followed him quickly through the gates. Then we were in the lush area of the village. My mouth fell open as I saw more humans walking around, female humans. They were all wearing loincloths with a tube top underneath long see-through dresses. They didn't even give me a second look. They were all talking to each other, as well as two Draqua females. It was a busy village, and I could tell people were going about their business carrying baskets of fish or plants. Some had young children, hybrids with them. I could barely speak. I couldn't take it in.
“You are too slow. I know there is a lot to see. But you will see it later, I promise,” the captain said. Then he stepped away from me. I looked at him confused. In a flash, he shifted into Dragon form. His large wings spread out behind him. I would never get tired of watching him do that. Then he picked me up and flew straight into the air. I was not expecting it. He flew high among the trees in and out of trunks easily. Then he landed on a large round platform surrounding one of the trees. He set me down on my feet.
“That was crazy,” I said.
“This is your home,” he said as he opened the door to a small hut that was sitting on the platform high in the tree. I was astounded by the engineering going on. I followed him in and was surprised at how beautiful the home was. It was almost luxurious, and not at all rustic like I was expecting. There were high vaulted ceilings. There was a very large bed with mosquito netting as well as what looked to me like a kitchen area. In the far corner of the room was a large tub. There was a massive window that looked out over the island.
“There is food in here. Everything you will need. There is a tub; take a bath if you wish. In the compartments, you will find fresh clothing, and there is a washroom beyond that wall there. I must go.” He turned toward the door. then he stopped and pulled me into his arms and kissed me. Then he let me go and walked out the door. I followed him.
He ran off the platform and jumped into the air, and his wings unfolded. He flew down toward the village. I could not believe what I was seeing. I'll never get tired of seeing that I thought. I went back inside the hut and closed the door. I wanted to be fresh and ready when the captain came back for me and hopefully had news about how we could get Camilla. I moved to the window and looked out. It was absolutely stunning. Then I saw something that I was not expecting. I saw a dragon flying in the distance. It was not a hybrid like the captain and the commander; it was a full Dragon, just like in the fairy tales.
“No freaking way,” I said. I watched it fly until it was out of sight. This was just too strange. I moved to the kitchen area and rummaged through the food and water. I ate and drank and then afterward ran a hot bath. It was like a therapeutic bath, and I could not wait. I plunged into the water and sighed. I was tired. So much had happened. But I felt guilty lying in a luxury tub while Camilla was with those animals. We just had to get her back.
After my bath, I wrapped a cloth around me. It felt good to be clean. I walked to the cabinet area and opened it. I pulled out what looked like the same clothing that I saw human females wearing in the village below. Brightly colored strips of cloth were in the form of loincloths, like little miniskirts. There were strips of cloth to be tied around my breasts and then long dresses to go over it.
“I guess when in an alien village, dress like the aliens,” I said to myself as I pulled out a soft pink material to wear as a breast cover and loincloth to match. I picked a white sheer dress to go over it. I got dressed and then sat on the bed. I laid down for a few minutes and felt my body get heavy. I had not slept in a long time. As I lay there, I thought about the human females in the village. How long had they been on this planet? Obviously several years for them to have children.
I could not wait to have conversations with them. It felt good to know that I would have more humans around to talk to try to understand this place and what was going on. I hoped that the captain would be able to successfully plead our case. I wanted them to go back and find Camilla as soon as possible. Every minute she was probably in agony, possibly even being tortured by those creatures. I thought about how they were able to control my mind, and that was very frightening. As I thought about all of this, I became overwhelmed, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep. It had been a very long and tiring adventure.