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A few of the others looked my way, interested in me for the first time.
“You don’t know them?”
She shook her head. “We’ve only read about them, seen them on our monitors. And I barely held it together at seeing them in the flesh and up close. It would be a dream to be selected by them.” Her eyes smiled with so much excitement, except she’d never get that chance. I’d make sure of that.
“Why would a human know anything about them?” Zeni spat. “I dated them, you should be asking me questions.”
The women all gushed and turned to Zeni, asking her dozens of questions, which was fine. Most days I toggled between hate and lust and a growing attraction for them.
It wasn’t long before we landed, the ship giving a slight jump, and I glanced outside the front window to find greenery everywhere, mountains in the distance.
This was happening.
Once the door opened, we all filed out into a small clearing. Lofty trees with enormous umbrella style branches surrounded us. The trunks were patterned as if carved by a rainbow. They streaked the bark in random strokes, the colors muted but so varied and beautiful.
The elf Vepar stood there, hands on hips, his horns glistening beneath the sunlight.
“Please drop your clothing where you are, then come and collect your survival bag.”
“Wait, what?” I rocked on my heels, convinced I’d heard wrong. Except the females around me were pulling their dresses up and over their heads. Boobs everywhere I looked, their nipples glistened different colors to match their horns. Then they dragged down their underwear and each went to collect their bag. I shouldn’t have stared, but I’d never seen female aliens and curiosity got the better of me. The hair between their legs was a thin line only, and each of them was the same. Maybe it was a trend of styling? And they were colored in all kinds of shades from gold to white to vibrant blues. I didn’t know where to look but one thing was certain, Vepar females had all the same bits I did.
“Hurry up, Ella,” he said.
“No one said anything about doing this naked.”
Zeni glanced at me, smirking, proud of herself. “Why would anyone have told you? You’re not one of us. Drop out now, head back.” She turned and hurried into the woods, vanishing like the rest of the females.
“You can do just as well as the rest of them,” the elf Vepar stated. “Don’t let clothing come in the way of those you love.”
I met his pale eyes. “Thank you for being nice to me. It’s hard to find many here who are.” I pulled up my dress and tugged it over my head, finding myself in just my underwear. The coldness brushed past my skin, rippling it. I cupped my breasts at first, but then dropped my hands, remembering his words. I pushed down my underwear, feeling vulnerable and fought the urge to cover myself back up. Stepping out of my shoes, I hurried forward and collected the white bag with a long strap, clutching it against me like a lifeline.
“Inside you’ll find a map of where you need to go.” He glanced over his shoulder at two mountains at his back, to the valley and back at me, a brow raised. No words, but I understood that was where I had to go. “As well as a blade, firestarter, and pot.” He leaned closer, and up close I saw tiny white scales running across the tops of his eyelids. “I checked with Corran and you can drink the water and vegetation out here.”
I nodded, memorizing everything.”Now go show them what you can do.”
“Thank you.” I slid the strap over my head and lay it diagonally across my body before making my way into the woods. Foliage and dead twigs stabbed my soles, but I kept going, needing to catch up with everyone. A quick look behind and the ship was in the air, zipping out of sight. In its place several of the drones lingered in the air. Right, we’d be watched.
I stopped in a small clearing and opened my bag to find my supplies, then pulled out the map, showing a great expanse of woodland, rivers, and mountains. Start was marked where we were and a big cross sat over the mountains for my target. Except, it lay further to my right, compared to where the elf Vepar pointed. The mountains ahead offered three valleys.
So which way would I go? What if the Vepar lied to me so I’d lose since everyone else seemed to hate me? I swallowed the rock in my throat, knowing I’d have to make a decision soon as I didn’t have much time, plus I’d have to find somewhere safe to hide for the night.
I stuffed the map into the bag and headed off, part of me wanting to believe that there were nice Vepar on this planet amid the hatred. Plus Corran had mentioned that the water was safe for me to drink as well, so I raised my head and steered right, away from the direction of the target and to where he’d guided me. I prayed I wasn’t making a horrible mistake.
