It must have been hours that passed in the cell. Del wasn't able to keep to track. After a while one of the Drenziens spoke up, the female that was in front of Del during the trip here, from earlier. She was in the cell adjacent from him.
"This is absurd. Absolutely absurd. How long is it going to take them to send someone in here?" She asked the others.
"Ha." The male across from her chuckled. "You think they'll send someone?"
"Yes." The female answered.
"To rescue us? Idiot." She said as if it were obvious.
The make now leaned forward, grabbing the bars of the cell. Del couldn't see him from the cell next to him, but he somehow knew he was looking the female directly in the eyes. He intentionally spoke slower and louder at first.
"They just lost an entire forward camp and most of not all superior officials on this planet. You'd think they'd risk sending an entire team in to this well guarded city four survivors snd a damned inmate? Be realistic." He finished before leaning back to the wall of his cell.
Del saw the females drenzien's face fall. The dread was overcoming her. The reality of her situation setting in. They would likely die here. Del too feared for his safety as well. Though he found it rather humorous that these Drenziens now found themselves in the same situation as the other inmates aboard the Andreas during their approach to the Adresta system, before any of this started.
A long silence passed again and finally the door handle jiggled and the door swung open. Two natives entered the room and unlocked Del's cell. They motioned for him to follow.
"Oh come on." The Drenzien that was in the cell next to him said.
The natives simply ignored him and ushered Del along. Del didn't know what was going on but gladly played the part and followed the natives out of the bademebt back into the narrow alley of the city. The door ding shut behind him and Del saw the native behind him lock it.
"Why.." Del began but the native held a hand up interrupting him.
"You are diffierent from the others." The native said to him. His voice was deep but not menacing. He actually sounded curious. Del looked at the native and realized he must be the first human they've ever seen.
"You are not one of them?" He asked.
"No…" Del replied taking caution while uncertain of how to proceed here.
"I'm from somewhere far away from here. I was brought here to work for them." Del said choosing his words carefully, unsure of what the native could understand. Though to Del's surprise, The green man nodded his head and followed along.
"You work for them?" He asked.
"Well, by force, but yeah." Del answered.
"Then you are a slave." The native said finally, drawing his own conclusion.
"Well, prisoner technically, but again…yeah." Del said back.
The native scratched his chin and then nodded at the other behind Del. The native to his back had a deep red mixed in with his green skin while the one who was speaking to him had a purple stripe that looked like it stretched vertically across his entire body.
"It is time we see the Chieftan." He said quickly. Then the two natives ushered Del out of the alley and began escorting him through the city.
They left the cities center and headed towards its rear near the body of water. Along the way Del saw all manner of animals bustling about the city along with the natives as if they understood the various markets and events scattered throughout.
Before long another building came into view. This one large and layered with wood and stone towering halfway up the large tree trunks surrounding it. There was a long sodden staircase leading up to a set of wooden double doors. The building itself was striking. It was made mostly of wood like the others but this building was much bigger, more ornate than the rest of the multi level huts the other natives lived in. This looked to clearly be a building of great importance.
"Chieftain Rom will see you now. He is interested in your kind." The native explained.
The other native then walked to the side of the king staircase and stood up straight as if on guard. The first native continued up the steps as Del followed along. Del couldn't help but still marvel at the local wildlife everywhere in this city. Birds, monkeys, small dog like creatures, insects, they were all living harmoniously in peace.
"Do they not ever eat each other?" Del asked, the question suddenly entering his mind as he stared at the cacophony of animals.
"No." The native replied. "The animals here are all considered docile or animals of prey, there are no predators here."
"Except the Drenziens." Del muttered to himself. The native key out what Del could only perceive as a chuckle as he continued forward.
Soon enough they were at the large wooden double doors. The native knocked on the right door three times and the double doors swung open. Once he entered Del saw the the doors opened up to a single large room. There were few natives in here though Dem noticed their other colors were all either purple or yellow for all present, along with the geeen skin. This kept in line with the purple stripe on the native that had led him here. Del now wondered if the seperate colors weren't part of their skin and acted as some sort of ranking system.
"Na've!" The large native in the chair said. All in the room stood still. After a moments pause Del was led forward by the same native from before.
"The hold outsider, you are in the presence of our great chieftan, Rom." He said just before a slight bow. Del followed suit and bowed as well.
The large native in the chair was bigger than all the others Del had seen and he was wondering why. Instead of the traditional brown garb the rest of the natives seemed to wear the Chieftan was draped in hides and jewelry, a wood-caged helmet sat on his head narrowly obscuring his face.
"You have come a long way outsider, haven't you?" The Chieftan spoke. His voice was deep but there was something comforting about his tone.
"I have." Del said looking from the first native back to the Chieftan, blinking uncomfortably as he was unsure of what else to say.
Even behind his wood caged helmet Del could see the chieftains face twist into a smile.
"Very good."