"That bitch'll keep us here forever" ,to the soft laugh of the plum faced woman with adorable facial features laying next to him Teren spoke.
Her chuckling did not stop, "Part your fault? I mean four of you and ... "
"You forget the "intelligent" Janta sent me to look for April "in" the ship ... " stretching his hand out to grab a chip off of her "plate" ,"Quite sad, I always planned on getting a taste of sweet April ... "
A "Hey!" and a wide palm slap met his face. Before the hand receded further he grabbed it by the wrist and kissed its palm, "Boyish thoughts, and empty. That was before I experienced you. I wouldn't think of another woman ... not even if our "captain" offered herself legs wide and commanded it"
"Not the smartest fantasy to voice " she cautioned.
Chuckling and still chewing the chip he had stolen, "Heh , if it wasn't for my father we wouldn't be here ... "
"A case of nepotism , heh, to think you always make fun of Nai". He took another chip and eyed her with a smile, " "made" fun , the universe rid us of him. Well both the universe and his crazy sister" He chuckled, " I mean, damn. I'm okay with it, but that bitch is crazy"
"Shes your captain and I don't like that word"
"Is she?" he kissed her cheek and cupped her left breast in his hand, "you're the only captain I know ... " . He's warm breath across her cheek and ear, she giggled, "Not again, now. We have to go, they'll get suspicious" pushing him off of her, she got off the bed with a smile and eyeing him now and then got dressed.
"You think they don't already know? You're embarrassed of me?" Teren voiced.
"Yes ... " approaching the door and turning to him with a soft laugh, "Now get ready, you have twenty minutes"
After she left Teren bit his lip and stared at the "ceiling" for a moment. With sudden and quick movements he threw the covers off of him and got off the bed. Standing next to the one and a half meter narrow mirror he gazed at his reflection with a pensive look.
A couple of minutes later, he had on his not so ostentatious suit. The black "jacket" and trousers with silver lining and red designs her and there, accompanied with fitting black boots he left his room.
Half an hour later, the entire crew was outside the ship Merim and Kijan standing by its entrance. A total of twenty four, generous presence of warpers even though apart from Merim everyone else was level 3 and below.
"They're not coming back!" a male voice shouted.
"We love lil' April but they're as good as dead out there ... " Another.
Merim was staring where the Hova was. She turned to meet their gazes, "Yet it is by my will, that we will leave"
"Meant to kill you're own brother, now you intend to wait for him ... which is it"
She knew the respect to her title was a loose one, mostly due to her age. In all honesty, the view she had of herself had fractured. She doubted her mind and actions. But she knew she had to be decisive and steel about her choices. ' Father would not have let them talk to him like this '
Without a telling expression, "That was not my brother and you are right, they are probably as good as dead ... if not, however, the best play would be for them to find us"
"How exactly are they to do that? Even you can't teleport to them! Kijan, speak to her ... we've spent too much time here"
After waiting to see if it would be his opportunity to speak Kijan sighed, "It seems most of you are ignorant of how Merim's jumps work. I will tell you all right now, April is a strong risk mitigator ... us waiting, will be best for us too"
"If you knew this, why'd you engage them? I say from now on she takes orders and plays her role. This ain't right ... "
It was best to let them know they were heard, everyone played an important role.
"Oi!" Janta's booming voice, " That's yer captain! Yer' all probably still alive cause she made quick to take care of things before shit went down ... "
"That's right" Almost victoriously and comically Yhon cut her off, "Who knows, if "it" wasn't handled as soon as possible, what would have happened. Even with the face of her brother, that body stealer didn't deter the captain here"
' Is this a joke to them ' Teren mused.
"Enough" Her voice calm Merim spoke, " ... It won't be right for me to hold you all here long after ... my "mistake" ... " her pupils darted between them all, "... so a week, I ask of you"
"A week? No f***g way!"
" what if more of those body stealers come huh!?"
Her request was met with objections and shouting. Taking a deep breath, she raised her voice loosing her calm composure, "Then I do not ask of you, it will be a week till we leave ... if more "body stealers" come, let's hope you're all not a bunch of pussies"
With looks of shock and expressions of evident anger they went silent at her proclamation. She turned to go back into the ship.
"So, was your brother one?" Teren's voice came from the silence. Over her shoulders she stopped and her sharp gaze met his but only for a second before she proceeded into the ship.
***
Looking back from the now damaged Hova, Nai's eyes met with April's for a moment before turning to face the perpetrators.
The shortest one must have been two meters tall. Their upper body and facial features resembled humans but in a way that would make any human uncomfortable. Their lower body looked like half a sentor with only hind legs, clawed paws where hooves would have been.
One of their females walked up to them, Ian assumed it was female from its bare full breasts and dark nipples. An inhuman smile on its face, it began to talk but the language Ian could not understand. It sounded like a gory version of what he assumed all European languages sounded like.
It clasped its hands then turned to its others and continued blabbering. Eyes meeting again, "Can you understand?" cautiously Ian whispered to his one and only guide.
"Why would I? Behavioral mannerisms, however are not that hard to read" in a manner complete opposite to Ian's caution she spoke with confidence.
The female creature made a sharp turn to them, like interrupted. A smile on her face April lazily raised her hands in front and not too high. Like the other party did not exist, "Don't worry too much, there's almost piety to her speech ... they'll either worship us or sacrifice us "
With a wave of its hands the female led two others to take Nai and April. Shoved from behind , Nai and April had no choice but to follow. They walked for about forty minutes, over dampy and rocky land, past caves and taking in more of their environment.
Eventually they made it to what seemed like a village. To Ian's surprise, it was more developed than he had expected from these creatures walking top naked. The houses were wood, their structure the same. Square-like and from the outside looked to be more like separate rooms than different houses.
It was humid here. More of the creatures gathered along the way to see them. Even Ian was smart enough to tell it was a full community. Their children ran along shouting in their ugly language. Their captors had an air of pride to themselves, flaunting heir price "catch" to everyone.
Eventually they made it to a huge tree with a wide stem and branches and red leaves only at its highest point. In the shadow of the tree was a house of similar basic structure, only slightly larger and seemed older.
Its "door" was what looked to be skin hide. Five of them entered, the female one that spoke and led, Nai ,April and the two that had continuously shoved them from the back all the way to here.
Inside strong aromas clashed. The strongest to assault Nai's nose was a foul smell, like something was burning. After being outside, it was dark inside only improving slightly to dim after adjusting their eyesight.
Nai looked around, not recognizing much of the set up. He heard the now familiar voice of their female captor speak, addressing someone.
Several meters across the "door" there was a grunt from the dark shape that Ian had noted. It shifted, moved forward to the light and with a coarse voice it responded or spoke
. He could not tell.
The "shoving buddies" shoved them forward again toward the new individual. Turning to them to express her displeasure April complied. Ian had graciously did everything demanded of him on their way here without complaint. To April, coming across Alien life might not be anything strange ... to Ian however, these looked like ancient lore beasts that could eat him. He was more stressed than he seemed.
In front of the new individual, Ian got a good look. Its face was wrinkly and looked reddish. its breasts and upper body skin were sagging, old, it was old.
It raised its six fingered hand and squeezed Ian's face by his cheeks, twisting it slowly left to right. It opened it's mouth and it's course voice rang out again. The putrid breath smell assaulted Ian's nose and he could not help to cringe. Tilting his head back slightly, it was shifted strongly back into position with the surprisingly firm warm and sweaty hand.
April had been frozen ever since getting closer, her aspect ability had been surpessed to only observe. She had noted these aliens had similar barred mental structures to most other civilisations, however, the old female's one felt like it had no boundary. The barrier did not have levels or ending, it had seemingly fused figuratively.
Her mind had a full grasp of itself and its structure. Its mental "aura" to be manipulated by will, its true structure illusory and shifting to deceive. A Mind Aspect Manipulator. She had only ever met one other, her "teacher" of sorts. A teacher that had made invasive sexual actions towards her. How easy it was for him to get away with it, his words like absolute truth to others.
She had hated more so scared of him back then . To think that in only three years she had now surpassed him, this was the only reason that she had gotten confident in her power and self. Right now , however, the old female in front of her exuded a heavy air of mental supression like their abilities had unconsciously clashed. It brought back wary thoughts and slight fear in her heart that she had burnh the bridges to long ago.
The old female creature turned to her and a crooked grin took shape on its face.