Mai awoke to the warmth of the sun beating down on her and slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying on her back but to her surprise there were no white trees in sight. As she pushed herself upright, she felt gravel and small stones beneath her hands. Glancing down she noticed small white pebbles scattered on the ground. A campfire crackled in front of her with a black pot perched over it filling the air with the enticing aroma of food. Her hands, however, weren't wrapped in bandages as she had expected. This realization startled her, and she immediately began searching for Kenta.
Scanning the surroundings, she spotted him lying some distance away in a woven basket atop a rock, leaving her perplexed. Just then the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears and a young man emerged. He sported brown pants, a black long-sleeved shirt and possessed a tall slender build. What set him apart were the small white horns adorning his forehead lending him an otherworldly appearance akin to a character from a fantasy film. With dark eyes and medium-length black hair he cut a striking figure. Wrapped in a long red hooded cloak he looked handsome as he seated himself beside Kenta wordlessly attending to a task.
The man retrieved a black knife and began slicing a piece of brown bark placed on the rock. He finely shredded it into sawdust and plucked some green leaves mixing them in his hand before spitting on the concoction.
Perplexed by his actions Mai finally spoke up. "Who are you and what are you doing? And why is Kenta in a basket?"
However, the man remained unresponsive continuing to mash the mixture into a small ball.
Growing frustrated Mai pressed further. "Why are you ignoring me?"
She furrowed her brow, her tone softening as she said. "Thank you for saving me. Please give Kenta back to me."
The man briefly glanced her way and then approached her bending down in front of her. Without warning he forcefully placed the ball into her mouth taking her off guard. It slid down her throat compelling her to swallow and startled she clutched her throat and coughed but the ball remained lodged inside. Suddenly her stomach cramped emitting strange noises only for the discomfort to swiftly dissipate. She gingerly touched her abdomen, finding it entirely pain-free. A realization struck her, and she looked at the man with surprise.
"Did you heal me?" she inquired.
The man opened his mouth and emitted clicking sounds before resuming his position next to Kenta. Mai considered the possibility that he might be mute and communicated through such sounds. If he possessed the ability to heal her wounds, could he also assist in removing the chip from her neck?
She gently touched her neck and posed the question. "Can you help me remove it?"
The man gazed at her responding once more with clicking sounds this time invoking eerie recollections of the noises she had heard from the T-rex. Nothing seemed to make sense, or did it?
"Are you a T-rex?" she asked.
The man furrowed his brow and responded with clicking sounds which Mai interpreted as a sign that he understood her. She leaned forward slightly and pointed to her neck. He stood up and walked over to the pot scooping up something with a spoon before approaching her.
Mai thought to herself, "What the hell is he doing? Is he going to feed me?"
She felt a surge of fear at his actions and bit her lip in anticipation. When he reached her, she opened her mouth expecting the spoon to approach but to her surprise he directed it toward her neck and poured the contents there. A burning pain flared causing her to let out a scream. In her pain and confusion, she tried to strike at him but suddenly she felt his hand on her neck and a small prick followed by a soothing relief. He examined the tiny chip in his hand and then looked at her before placing it in his pants pocket. Mai gingerly touched her neck and found no blood leaving her astounded.
She expressed her gratitude saying. "Thank you so much." with a broad smile.
The man responded with more clicking sounds and leaned closer. Mai caught a whiff of his refreshing and pleasant scent. Just as she thought he was about to do something else she felt her arms and waist being bound by thick black rope. She looked down in surprise as the man pushed her upright prompting her to stand. He then took the basket with Kenta and made more clicking sounds. Suddenly a pair of large black wings sprouted from his back startling her and causing her stomach to churn. Was he truly a demon lord and was he taking her to his castle? Her heart raced and she felt like a damsel in distress from a movie. It seemed as though he had come to her rescue.
Before she could offer her thanks, she was unexpectedly pushed forward, and he grabbed her under his right arm as if she were an object. Confused by his behavior Mai wondered why he wasn't carrying her like a person.
As the man flapped his wings lifting them off the ground toward the sky, she couldn't help but feel angry about her treatment. She began hurling insults at him and even kicked her legs although her arms were bound too tightly for her to do much else. She had never been treated this way before and she thought back to her encounters with the government, realizing that in comparison this situation was rather extreme. However, she couldn't forget the chip with its built-in bomb; that had been far worse. She sighed and in a begrudging compromise accepted her treatment.
"I'll accept it only because you look good." she said still feeling offended by the circumstances.
The man continued to make clicking sounds and Mai gazed down observing trees in various colors that resembled vibrant carpets and a gentle breeze rustled through the treetops creating the illusion of a colossal wave. Lush green mountains loomed in the background shrouded by a thin layer of fog that kissed their peaks and snow crowned their highest points. Mai inhaled deeply savoring the cool crisp air unable to recall the last time she had experienced true nature. It had been 10.000 years since she had last seen Earth before humanity's actions had led to its devastation. Playing God had consequences and she doubted that humanity would ever learn from its mistakes. She hoped that this encounter with the T-rex would serve as a harsh lesson they'd remember for the rest of their lives. She couldn't help but wonder about the fate of General Henrik and Dr. Piva.
Ten minutes later a vast sea stretched out before them, its surface hidden beneath a dense layer of fog that at first glance seemed like distant clouds. As they ascended above the fog another layer materialized and even higher up, they passed through the clouds emerging into the radiant warmth of two brilliant suns. The scorching heat initially felt unbearable as if Mai were about to be consumed by its intensity. She heard a whooshing sound and suddenly her body felt normal again. She turned her head to the man who remained silent his focus locked onto the horizon. She then noticed islands surrounding them and directly ahead lay a colossal central island crowned by a tall slender golden tower that seemingly stretched up to the suns and beyond into space.
The man abruptly emitted a series of clicking sounds and pointed towards the tower then downward to the island's base where an enormous city sparkled and glistened under the sunlight. Mai wished she could comprehend his language and as she beheld the city a profound realization dawned upon her. She could breathe at this high altitude, which should have been impossible even considering her "eternal" life. Her immortality only extended her lifespan; it didn't grant her the ability to breathe at such heights.
They began their descent towards the city and as they drew nearer Mai observed an entire populace flying about it, their diverse colors adorning human bodies. Among them were children with wings and the common feature they all shared were two small bumps on their foreheads resembling tiny horns. Attire varied greatly from togas to medieval garb making her question if they had been transported to a world straight out of fantasy.
They landed in front of a grand rectangular golden edifice flanked by two towering slender structures. Beyond these buildings the central tower of the island reached for the sky. Mai couldn't discern any windows or staircases on the tower leading her to speculate that the inhabitants could fly to its pinnacle. Upon landing they touched down on a ground paved with white gravel stones and the man released Mai allowing her to stand on her own. He nudged her from behind indicating that she should walk and together they proceeded into the building.
Before entering the building, the man smoothly retracted his wings concealing their existence as though they had never been present. As they crossed the threshold, they found themselves in a grand entrance hall adorned with towering thick white pillars constructed from golden-hued stone. In the center of a vast open square before them a large white stone emitted a radiant glow. This stone stood upon a suspended circle its shape triangular. People garbed in golden cloaks bustled about and upon spotting the man they nodded and offered him respectful bows. Their attention then turned to Mai. An unfortunate soul collided with a pillar causing his nose to sting while a woman fumbled and dropped a substantial wooden bowl filled with vegetables hastening to retrieve it. A child stood with wide-open eyes silently observing Mai while a young girl pointed in her direction and whispered to her mother who also cast a curious gaze.
Mai felt like an alien specimen on display uneasy about the scrutiny from strangers who bore horns upon their foreheads and wings reminiscent of a dragon's. It should have been the other way around; she should have been the one in her element but instead she was the captive rendered defenseless. Throughout her life she had entertained the notion of extraterrestrial life or an alternate version of herself residing on another planet, yet she had never envisioned a world inhabited by humans resembling those she encountered on this alien planet with dinosaurs.
She glanced at the man and inquired. "Are you truly not a T-rex?"
The man furrowed his brow and responded with a clicking sound. Mai observed that the local inhabitants also communicated amongst themselves through clicking sounds. This peculiar language choice only deepened the enigma. Why didn't these people resemble the other dinosaurs she had encountered during her harrowing experience the previous night?
Shortly after they entered a vast circular chamber crafted from gleaming white marble, its emptiness stark. In the center of this space sat an elderly man garbed in a flowing white robe, his long white hair cascading down his back. He sat with his hands resting on the marble surface, his eyes closed in contemplation. Around him men in white robes knelt their hands likewise pressed to the marble. It was evident to Mai that they were partaking in some form of séance and their entrance was an abrupt interruption.
The man accompanying her emitted a clicking sound prompting the old man to open his eyes. The elderly man swiveled his head directing his gaze toward Mai as his initial action. His eyes possessed a crimson hue and small black horns adorned his forehead evoking the likeness of a dragon. He rose from his seated position and approached her, parting his lips to produce clicking sounds.
Mai sighed and uttered. "You can insult me, and I can't understand you. Why don't you just kill me?"
The man furrowed his brow and suddenly his right index finger emitted a soft glow which he pointed towards his throat.
"Can you understand me now?" he asked suddenly.
Mai was both shocked and surprised feeling a flutter in her stomach. "You can speak my language."
The man shook his head and responded. "No one can speak a language without learning it. I use an ancient energy that can temporarily allow us to communicate with each other. Only I can use it."
Mai pouted and gazed at the handsome man who had taken her captive. She wanted to scold him but he had cured her, so she chose not to.
"It might be too much to ask but can you thank him for saving my life and check if I'm still infected in my abdomen?" she asked feeling a tad embarrassed.
The old man placed his right hand on her stomach and closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he shook his head. "It seems Ace has fixed it."
Mai cast a glance at the man whose name turned out to be Ace, a beautiful name. She wished they could understand each other and sighed. She thanked the old man profusely and inquired why she had been captured.
"Come, let's take a walk." he suggested and offered her a bow.
They began to stroll at a leisurely pace with Ace trailing behind them.
"My name is Elder Lric. This is our Utopia. We live the way we do because of the energy on this planet which has its own rules, and we simply follow them." Elder Lric elucidated providing further insights into the workings of their planet.
In Utopia the advanced civilization dwelt above ground while those less intellectually inclined resided below.
"The T-rex and the other dinosaurs are considered less intelligent?" Mai asked her surprise evident.
Elder Lric looked at her and replied. "Here we classify races as carnivores and herbivores. For instance, we have creatures with large bodies and very long necks that only eat plants. We call them Greenies because they only consume green."
"In my world they are known as Brachiosaurus." Mai explained.
Elder Lric expounded that allowing her race to remain on their planet would lead to the world's downfall and hence she had to depart promptly. Mai was reluctant to leave this place because she had gone through so much to arrive, and she pleaded to stay. She made it clear to him that nobody would heed her if she were sent back as she was regarded as a slave in their eyes. However Elder Lric misunderstood her presuming that she was a leader which was why Ace had saved her life.
Elder Lric furrowed his brow and exchanged a series of clicking sounds with Ace. Then he raised his eyebrows. Suddenly his cheeks flushed, and he cleared his throat producing more clicking sounds.
Elder Lric announced. "He never makes mistakes and has failed his mission so he must be punished."
Punished? Mai gazed at Ace and then at Elder Lric. "He saved my life so there's no need to punish him."
The leader of their mission was General Henrik, so it was to him that Ace had to meet as he held the final authority in her world.
Elder Lric inquired. "What do I gain by not punishing him?"
Mai bit her lip aware that nothing came for free in this world, a lesson instilled in her by her father.
"General Henrik and Dr. Piva." she responded.
"I thought there was only one leader but there are more." Elder Lric remarked sounding surprised.
Mai explained that there was a government that made decisions and then General Henrik executed those decisions wielding command over the population. She had no desire to return to the Mothership and needed to play her cards right this time.
"Let's make a deal." she proposed.
General Henrik in exchange for Ace avoiding punishment and Dr. Piva in exchange for her to reside in Utopia. Elder Lric weighed her words and glanced at Ace who couldn't comprehend their conversation and looked puzzled.
Elder Lric nodded and declared. "It's a deal. However, you'll receive no special assistance. You'll have to start from scratch like everyone else here."
Mai's heart raced at those words, her excitement and joy bubbling within her. She had never experienced such happiness in her life. She bowed to Elder Lric who arranged a place for her to stay, a simple room she shared with other women in a large house. She longed to have Kenta with her, but Elder Lric retained him as collateral in case she decided to align with the enemy. She couldn't imagine there being any adversaries considering their high level of intelligence. Were there races even more intelligent than them?
*Thank you for reading my story. If you like it please follow/add it. *
