Dwellers of the New World Chapter Fourteen ( Pt 10 ) When Fantasy Meets Sci-Fi

The children were chatting and laughing amongst themselves, jumping up and down like over excited monkeys as they surrounded the strangers. The citrine birds flew above Liora's head, flapping their wings wildly, releasing the silver powder which fell to the ground and covered the woman in a white sprinkling of dust and light that kept her safe from danger.

Jay was the first to see Liora, he was startled as she had the appearance of a spectre...a shadowy figure in the light of the moons. He was transfixed, gesturing to the others to keep back.

The children became still and silent as they caught sight of the solitary figure, she had become someone of importance, a dignitary of magic and enchantment, a person who had come to their aid rescuing them from the brutal hands of Bracus and his men.

Liora was unsure of these strange people.  Extremely annoyed she stood with her arms crossed, no longer the sensuality in her eyes, but instead they were large and glaring, her hair flowing down her shoulders with a look of disdain. Her lips pressed tightly together as she eyed the newcomers up and down; she was tired, agitated and hungry. “Where have you been?” She declared, confronting Jay in an angry fashion.

The realisation that things were not right crushed his enthusiasm, registering he was in for a cross-examination. “Liora I'm sorry we went off,” he reached out to her with his arms hoping she would come to him, but she gave no reaction. Standing her ground, Jay continued to explain. “These individuals approached us when we were on the shore; they were lost and wanted to show us where they'd come from. You're not going to believe...” He was just about to continue when Liora interrupted him.

“So! Who are these men in their strange clothes? Nobody else ever comes here, as I've told you there's only one way into this land and that's the way we came.”

“That's what I'm trying to tell you,” replied Jay looking anxiously at her, then turning and pointing to the leader. “This is Addie and his men. You remember I told you about the people who came to our earth ten years ago when I was just a boy?”

Liora still kept a blank face, but spoke. “Yes...I seem to remember you and Ben talking about them.”

“Well...Addie is one of them and he knows Dawson...can you believe it?” Jay still held his excitement as he spoke, even though Liora was still not amused. He stopped talking realising he wasn't getting anywhere and turned to the leader. “I'll let Addie tell you the rest.”

The leader at this point was rather embarrassed to be face to face with a naked woman, he tried not to look directly at her, gazing at the ground though continuing to glance up every now and again. Then went on to explain. “Your friend is right...my name's Addie and these are my men, Ruben – Brett and Mason.” The three men each lowered their heads feeling as awkward as Addie, forcing a smile as they looked up.

Liora noticed how they were all dressed the same, and wondered how they managed to stay comfortable wearing the all in one suits in the heat of the night. “Aren't you uncomfortable in those strange clothes? It's so warm here,” she uttered studying them carefully.

Addie smiled at the woman, then proceeded to explain. “These are safety suits...they're breathable and warm in cold weather, but cool in hot weather. We have no need to wash, as the suits keep us cleansed.

You see we come from another world called Obsidian...the place Jay mentioned. Our ship landed on a planet faraway from here.” He pointed in the direction he'd come from. “We were exploring the tunnels and cave systems to see if life could be habitable, or even if there was any chance of other humans existing, but when we tried to go back the way we'd come, we found that the entrance had disappeared and there was no way out.”

Liora listened, though she was aware of her nakedness in the sight of these fully dressed men. Being nude hadn't ever bothered her before, but the look on their faces unfolded her humiliation, as beads of moisture converged across her forehead. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand Liora could feel her face redden, their auras were affecting her in a way she'd never experienced before.

Standing exposed and taking some deep breaths, she told the explorers that it would be better if they came back to the chamber, where introductions could be made over some food.

Even though Jay and the children were naked she was also aware of being the only female, at that moment a thought went through her mind, she wished the birds could spirit her away from this uneasy situation, though Liora was suddenly fascinated and no longer angry. “You really come from another world?” She said, approaching Addie and his men looking at their bizarre outfits, their all in one gear stood out in the moonlight and gave the strangers a hypnotic dazzle.

Addie still felt uncomfortable, but didn't want to upset the woman. “Yes! We've been travelling the cave systems for days, there are so many different tunnels with no way of escape, but finally we saw light and that's how we came to be here. We saw Jay and the children along the shoreline and wondered if they could help us.”

“But why didn't you come and tell me where you were going?” She asked, turning to face Jay.

“I'm sorry...I just thought it would be easier if we just went with them, I didn't realise how long it would take and just how far they'd come.”

Addie wanted to know more about Dawson and was just about to ask, when Jay started speaking. He scratched his head in thought! He was puzzled as to how Addie and his men would get to the chamber without stripping. He was also aware of their backpacks that held their supplies. “Um! I was just wondering...how are they going to get across to the chamber without getting wet?”

Liora was just about to speak, when Addie interrupted. “Oh...that's fine, our suits are waterproof and so are the backpacks. We always come prepared for any situation.” At that point his train of thought about Dawson had disappeared.

“Well then!” replied Liora. “Let's get back and eat, I would say the children must be starving by now...I know I am.”

All the children began jumping up and down in anticipation, rubbing their bellies and licking their lips. “I'm thirsty too!” Shouted one boy, as he stuck his tongue out in expectation of fresh water. The other children whooped and hollered all clamouring for attention.

Liora put her hands up to quieten the children down. “Enough! Come let's get going.”

They all followed the woman back down the path. The birds flew off, happy that Liora was now safe. They were already sitting in the trees when the party arrived at the shoreline.

“I'm fascinated by these crystal trees,” voiced Addie,  "can you tell me a bit about them?"  He said,  reaching out and touching one of the gleaming, glassy diamond shapes that hung down. “We have crystals on our world, in fact most of our planet is covered in crystals, which is why it's called Obsidian.”

As Liora stepped into the lake, she responded to his question. “Those are the crystal trees of Lepi...they grow out of the underground caverns, most of the lakes lead into passages and caves that make up the biggest part of Lepi. You have journeyed tunnels and grottos that even I haven't ventured through, so I'm very interested to hear about more of your travels.” Diving under the water, she was away and swimming fast like a fish, before Addie had time to ask any more questions. Following Liora, the children entered the water followed by Jay.

Addie decided to pick one of the crystals off the tree, before he and his men raised their hoods up over their heads. Placing the crystal in his backpack, he then made sure all their backpacks were sealed tight, before entering the water too.

They'd been caught up in many underwater tunnels, so it was good to be swimming in a lake where they didn't have to worry about using their aquatic breathing apparatus.

It didn't take them long to arrive back at the chamber, the smell of fish was enticing, and Liora's men had kept a fire burning brightly. Addie decided not to mention anything about taking one of the crystals, he felt Liora was annoyed enough, without him adding to her irritation.

Dwellers of the New World Chapter Fifteen ( Pt 2 ) Broken Dreams | ABCtales