Chapter 04: Strangers in the Starlight
---
The two scouts crouched by Lucian's unconscious body, their movements deliberate and cautious.
One of them, a wiry figure with shimmering skin that caught the faint light of the alien stars, reached out with long, slender fingers, carefully poking at Lucian's arm.
"Vrak zhinar tho lak?" the scout muttered, their voice a mix of clicks and resonant hums.
The second scout, bulkier but equally ethereal, frowned. "Zhi nakras. Lak rion dos talek."
(Translation: "Who is this strange one?"
"He looks different. His skin it's too solid, too opaque. Maybe he was exiled for it.")
The wiry scout tilted their head, translucent skin rippling faintly as they examined Lucian's face.
"Tho naras tr'ken lek va?"
(Translation: "What should we do with him? He's hurt, but he might be dangerous.")
"Takw lukm wabi"
(Translation: But the captain said to bring him.)
"Cwby tways..."
(Translation: Let's do what …..)
Before the larger scout could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed across the rocky terrain.
The two turned their heads sharply, their glowing eyes narrowing as a third figure approached a taller humanoid, his presence commanding despite his silence.
The newcomer stopped in front of the scouts, his translucent skin reflecting the starlight like liquid crystal. His eyes, brighter than the
others, flicked to Lucian's unconscious form.
"Vek nar shinas?" the leader asked, his voice calm but authoritative.
(Translation: "What is going on here?")
The wiry scout gestured toward Lucian.
"Leader Krosh, we found this... creature. He fell near the crater. Look at his skin it's strange, opaque. He must be an exile."
Krosh knelt beside Lucian, studying him intently. "Threk van zhos nar'ek."
(Translation: "He is not one of us.")
The larger scout shuffled nervously. "Then what should we do? Leave him? He might bring danger to the village."
Captain told us to bring him. But he didn't see his looks from the outpost.
Krosh straightened, his glowing eyes narrowing. "do it. He is injured. We took him back. The Elders will decide his fate."
The scouts lifted Lucian with surprising ease, their movements fluid and precise.
As they carried him toward their village, the alien landscape unfolded around them jagged rock formations that glimmered faintly, as though infused with starlight, and strange plants that pulsed with a bioluminescent glow.
The village came into view, nestled in the heart of a massive canyon. It was unlike anything Lucian had ever seen.
The structures were crafted from smooth, iridescent stone, their surfaces polished to a mirror-like finish.
They seemed to grow organically from the canyon walls, their shapes fluid and graceful. Soft, glowing orbs hung in the air, casting an otherworldly light over the settlement.
As the scouts entered the village, heads turned. The villagers, humanoid like the scouts, paused their activities to watch.
Their translucent skin shimmered under the starlight, and their faintly glowing eyes followed the group with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
"What is that?" a voice whispered in the alien tongue.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Look at its skin so solid, so strange."
Krosh silenced them with a sharp glance, and the villagers quickly turned back to their work.
Lucian was taken to a circular stone building near the village center. Inside, the walls were smooth and curved, decorated with intricate carvings that seemed to shift and shimmer in the dim light.
A soft hum filled the air, resonating gently against the stone.
The scouts laid him on a raised platform, and one of the villagers approached. This figure, shorter and older-looking, carried a bundle of plants that glowed faintly green.
"Will this one live, Elder Vysha?" Krosh asked.
Vysha nodded, her hands moving deftly as she crushed the glowing plants into a paste. "His wounds are shallow. He is resilient, though not as strong as our kind. The paste will heal him."
She spread the paste over Lucian's wounds, her touch careful and precise. The green substance tingled as it sank into his skin, the glow dimming as it worked its magic.
"And when he wakes?" Krosh asked.
Vysha glanced at him, her eyes unreadable. "That will depend on him."
Hours passed before Lucian stirred. His eyelids fluttered open, and he blinked against the dim, unfamiliar light. His body ached, but the pain was duller now, his wounds tingling with a strange coolness.
He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The room was like nothing he had ever seen smooth stone walls with carvings that seemed to pulse faintly, as though alive.
The windows were small, irregular openings in the stone, letting in the faint glow of the orbs outside.
"Where... where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
As he shifted, he felt something sticky on his arm. He looked down to see a green paste smeared over his wounds. The cuts from the Skitherclaws had closed, though faint scars remained.
A faint noise caught his attention. He turned toward the sound, his heart pounding.
Outside the room, he could hear voices low, resonant tones interspersed with strange clicks and hums. The language was unlike anything he had ever heard, alien and incomprehensible.
"Am I... am I dreaming?" he wondered aloud.
He swung his legs over the edge of the platform, testing his strength. His muscles protested, but he managed to stand.
The voices grew louder, more distinct.
Whoever or whatever was outside, they were talking about him. He could feel it.
Lucian limped toward the nearest window, his pulse quickening. He peered out cautiously, his breath catching in his throat.
The sight that greeted him was surreal.
Dozens of humanoid figures moved about the village, their translucent skin shimmering under the light of the orbs.
Their glowing eyes reflected the starlight, giving them an ethereal, almost ghostly appearance.
"What the hell is this place?" Lucian whispered, his voice trembling.
The alien voices continued outside, a constant hum of activity. He couldn't understand their words, but the tone was unmistakable curiosity, caution, perhaps even fear.
For now, all he could do was wait and hope that these strange beings meant him no harm.
As Lucian stood by the window, his mind raced with questions. Where was he? Who were these creatures? And, most importantly, what did they plan to do with him?
—-