Page 7 of Dweller of the Mists

A male alien. That didn’t exactly make her excited to go out and make friends either. While she didn’t consider herself one of those humans who stupidly believed any and every alien wanted to get into the pants of human women, males were often unnervingly larger than even human men, much less women. And at five feet tall and boasting a very petite build, she was a lot smaller than many women who voluntarily signed onto the exploratory teams.

Family and old friends, worried that she might get easily hurt, didn’t understand why she had even signed onto the program. United Earth laws prevented Darvel from assigning non-gratas to the exploratory division just because of how potentially dangerous it was—it had to be comprised wholly of volunteers. It was the only real exception made when it came to what the Corp could do with them, but it was an important one and the reason why there was such a big payoff for volunteering service. The opportunity to earn citizenship was a huge dangling carrot and Noelle had snapped it up despite knowing thatshe was surrendering her life and her last remaining legal protections to them. She’d never had a moment where she’d regretted her decision… until now.

Maybe she should have listened to her family and friends, or even the personnel who had done the necessary paperwork and psych evaluation who had suggested that, given her size, she was a potential liability to the program and didn’t belong there. She had insisted and even demonstrated her capabilities in several simulations. That didn’t stop people from talking, however, and it had been her good fortune to be partnered with William Kim. He never dismissed her capabilities. She wished more than ever that he were there with her. He would have watched her back no matter what decisions she made at such a moment.

But he wasn’t. She was all alone, and so she needed to watch out for herself. She couldn’t take any chances with the alien. She didn’t want to die on this planet. She wanted to go home where she didn’t have to worry about some unknown alien monster killing her.

She swallowed and shook her head, even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “No. I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal, but I just can’t blindly trust someone I don’t know. You may mean well, but for all I know it could be a trap—one that I would be a fool to walk right into.”

A heavy sigh came from above and then silence. “You are correct,” he grumbled unhappily after an excruciatingly long moment. “It would be unwise to simply trust so easily, but I cannot linger too much longer. The little bit of water I’ve been feeding to the nangash will not sustain them long. I must return home. But three days,” he murmured, his voice pitching in a way suggested he was now speaking to himself. “I can spare three days, I think, to convince her.”

Noelle cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Perhaps you can show yourself. This whole thing is a bit disconcerting. First beingwatched by a practically invisible presence and now talking to one.”

“Ah.” A sonorous chuckle echoed from above, sending a feeling of tiny butterfly wings skittering over her skin. “I did not consider… Very well, I shall drop in front of the looking portal by your entrance. Come see me. Once you see me well, I will go out into the water so you may feel safe opening your door and talking to me.”

She bit her lip as she considered his proposal. It sounded fair.

“Okay, I’m going there now,” she called up toward the ceiling.

She jumped at the sound the metal roof made as he ran across the roof and leaped from it. The splash that followed was like that of an Olympic diver and it brought a faint smile to her face. He was clearly trying to make himself heard for her benefit. That was a point in his favor.

Gathering up her courage, she headed toward the main room. It was a small thing. She was safely inside with a door, four walls and roof, and a floor between them. She stopped in front of the window so close that her breath slightly fogged the glass. There! She saw the water ripple close by, the movement subtle in the morning light but obvious enough that she didn’t jump out of her skin when a lean, powerful male slowly drew himself out of the water. She spotted one hand and then the other; each possessed long fingers webbed at the first knuckle and tipped with brutally large claws slip from the water. They were followed by his wrists and powerful forearms and then the lean, muscular biceps of an athletic swimmer. He gripped the roots, the claws finding purchase, and pulled himself from the swamp.

Long dark purple ropes that vaguely resembled hair came into view and they streamed with water as the alien’s head and chest emerged and rose over the edge of the root system. He kept his every movement slow, his vivid green, luminous eyes pinnedon her. There were a few species who had bioluminescent structures in the iris of their eyes, but it made sense for a species inhabiting Xal given its gloom. His species clearly needed every advantage evolution gave them to survive there. His dark violet skin was also covered with bioluminescent freckling wherever it wasn’t covered by his strange black netted clothing. He also had a sort of leather bag strapped protectively across his chest. He had mentioned transporting something… maybe it was in there.

He lifted himself onto the massive root system on which the camp sat and slowly approached the window, his gait a graceful slink despite the slight amphibious look to his textured skin. He stopped in front of the window and his full lips turned up in a small smile as he lifted a hand and placed it on the reinforced glass. Three fingers and a thumb. She stared at his hand uncertainly. Did he expect her to lay her hand on the window too? Her brow beetled as she debated if that would potentially cause a misunderstanding by construing an intention that she wouldn’t be aware of. Before she could make up her mind, however, he smiled, revealing numerous sharp teeth, and dropped his hand. He remained in place, standing there for several minutes, allowing her to look her fill as he studied her as well before turning away and dropping back into the water.

He didn’t disappear from sight within the dark water, however. Keeping at the surface, he swam slowly from the edge of the root system until he was in a shadier area some distance away. His bioluminescence brightened, revealing the constellation of lights that she’d become so familiar with night after night. He remained in place, his eyes glowing, waiting.

“I suppose it’s my turn,” she murmured nervously.

Leaving the window, Noelle went to the door and opened it very slowly, just in case he charged from the swamp and tried to rush her. But he didn’t move. He remained still, patiently waiting for her to gather her courage and open the door therest of the way. She stood there with the door open, unable to move from her spot for several minutes. Eventually, she stepped outside and made her way to a slightly higher root that looked perfect for sitting on. Dropping onto it, she peered at him for a bit as she allowed herself to get accustomed to his presence out in the open.

“What’s your name?” she called to him.

There was a brief pause, and a strange shiver overtook the male but quickly disappeared. “Gwum Narvook Shoowilp Bia,” he replied.

Her lips tipped ruefully. “That’s quite a mouthful.”

His smile flashed, and this time his sharp teeth were a bit less unnerving now that she expected it.

“Bia is in honor and recognition of my species, for we are all one. Shoowilp is my clan. Narvook is my family designation. You may call me Gwum as this is my personal name.”

“Gwum,” she repeated. “I am Noelle. My family… ah, designation is Xander. I don’t have a clan. My species is human, but we don’t use that as part of our names.”

“Like the Gwyr,” he replied as he swam leisurely in place, he leaned back and floated there, the ropes of his “hair” floating around him. “You are very similar to the Gwyr, but also very different. But in this you are the same. They do not even name themselves with their clan.” He shook his head almost mournfully. “This estrangement is odd to the Bia.”

“Gwyr,” she repeated. “Is that what was making those frightening noises?”

A second sentient species to worry about was terrifying enough to consider, but if it was making those kinds of noises, then that just made it worse. It didn’t sound friendly at all. At least Gwum just sang to her. The other thing sounded like it would tear her apart.

He shook his head again and chuckled. “The Gwyr live in the mountains. They seldom come down into the swamps unless they wish to procure something. There are a few clans who have trade alliances with them in exchange for their ore and fibers that we do not have access to in the swamps. Not the Shoowilp or the Warderoon, however, so you have nothing to fear of a Gwyr here. It would be too much effort for them to invade either territory when they can approach a clan that they have an alliance with.” His smile fell. “What you heard—that would be the cazka.”

“And that is?” she queried.

“A very large and very dangerous predator,” he replied solemnly. “They are rare as they are slow to breed, but where a cazka has claimed hunting land, all Bia remain alert and aware, and do not approach. And you… you are right in the middle of its home.”

Fuck.

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