The Sapphire Tear Crown of the Immortal Dar

Day 1

A sparkle in the darkness of the endless space is nothing, especially when it is compared to the stunning explosions of the stars. The miniature flare appeared and faded in a blink. Only one person noticed the sparkle located five days away with the maximum speed of the best spaceship in the known Universe. At that time, the All-Seer was sitting on his comfortable chair in his office, on board the fastest ship in Evalette and the known Universe. Even though he could order the captain to turn the ship toward the distant planet, he preferred to examine the source of the sparkle from here. The All-Seer’s sight crossed the vast space and focused on something among the thick plant life. The observer’s breath stopped. He waited for so long to feel this Dar’s presence.

“It is time for revenge,” said the man, and his smile made the darkness in his office tremble in fear.

***

The men stood tensed like strings in the middle of the room. They would not move until Hatra ordered them, and he had no intention of releasing them from his presence any time soon. The commander finished the paperwork and turned to the window. On the other side, ten thousand brand-new cadets in Class GW were practicing. The sight of the running uniforms brought back memories of the day he received the first group Class Genetically Improved Warriors. Each one was the perfect result of a successful experiment where a dozen scientists improved genetic material from the purest bloodlines of all races in Empire Evalette. The result was better, faster, and stronger soldiers in every possible way. Officially, all genetically enhanced organisms and clones were illegal, and anyone who created, used, or bought them was punished. Each year, countless livestock and plants are destroyed because of violations of this law. Hatra knew that no one would be punished because the existence of those soldiers was known only to Emperor Fenor Belfor, Military Advisor Veles, and a few people in the Imperial Administration. To everyone outside this list, Darsk was just another military base, and Hatra – just another commander.

Hatra’s thoughts jumped to his first walk around Darsk. This giant spaceship was equipped with the latest technology, and only Military Advisor Veles’ ships were better and faster. On Darsk, unlike other military bases, the support staff had no contact with the soldiers. The living quarters and the operational systems took one-third of the ship. The employees’ rooms had two to four beds, a few shelves, and a washing room. Hatra considered the personnel’s recreation and physical training rooms unnecessary, but they were mandatory for every ship, so he had no reason to remove them. The employees were free to walk around the base except for the areas reserved for the soldiers. They could even have time off when Darsk was in the orbit of a planet or a space station.

Unlike Darsk’s employees, the soldiers rarely met anyone besides the medical personnel, trainers, Hatra, and his secretary, Satr. The soldiers’ dormitories took fifty huge rooms, where each soldier’s personal space was a bed, pillow, and blanket. Each of them also had a shelf next to the showers, where they found clean clothes and towels each morning. To Hatra, the genetically created warriors were just weapons. That meant that they must be kept clean, loaded, and ready for action at any time. They need no extravagances such as personal belongings, personal space, or personal life.

When Hatra received Darks, he felt like he would never manage to get ahead of things. His worry vanished when the first GW arrived, and he officially became an essential part of Emperor Fenor Belfor’s staff. The arrival of the ten thousand genetically improved soldiers came to life before his eyes. They were ten-year-old cadets fresh out of the incubating pods. Their movements were uncoordinated, and they had no practical skills. During the last days in the pots’ basic knowledge, speech, and standard behavior patterns were imprinted on their heads so the cadets could function adequately from their first day. The one thing the files could not prepare Hatra for was the diversity of the soldiers’ appearance. Most of the boys in uniforms had two arms, two legs, and one head. Everything else differed in color, height, weight, facial features, skin type, eyes, and hair. Commander Hatra gave a short speech and explained the main rules: ‘Don’t kill unless you are ordered’ and ‘Always follow the orders’. His secret dream of thunderous applause remained unfulfilled. Such behavior was not expected of them. Anyone showing emotions would be punished. Hatra felt intoxicated with his greatness and ordered the first training day to begin.

Ever since the beginning of the project, Hatra enjoyed testing different ways to turn the colorful lot of younglings into an army of perfect killers. The losses of cadets were labeled in the archives as ‘bad genetic material’. When the number of cadets dropped under two thousand, Hatra received orders for their education to include literature, science, medicine, and a dozen other subjects. The commander doubted the soldiers would ever have an opportunity to discuss poems from ancient scrolls during a battle. Someone else would probably ask about the reason for this advanced education, but Hatra did not care. The only thing that puzzled him was Military Advisor Veles’ personal attention to the remaining fifty soldiers. Veles gave two lectures in one of the training rooms explaining Evalette’s history and GW’s place in the empire’s future. Hatra and his senior staff also attended but did not care to understand or remember anything because he always thought history lectures were a pointless waste of time. Besides, he was horrified whenever Military Advisor Veles visited Darsk.

Commander Hatra’s feelings were completely different when Emperor Belfor visited to personally inspect the soldiers’ progress. His last visit was nine days ago. The emperor arrived accompanied by Military Advisor Veles and several other Imperial Advisors. Hatra took them for a walk around Darsk, and, as always, they remained pleased. Then Belfor began asking questions about the expenses, and Hatra got scared that the money he stole would be discovered. His fear vanished when Belfor changed the subject at the end of the soldiers’ demonstration.

“Only seven alive out of ten thousand,” noted Emperor Belfor, looking at the short line of tired men.

“They are the best,” said Hatra nervously. He could swear that he felt Veles’ eyes on the back of his head. The sensation was like something was slowly entering his skull, messing with his brain, and looking into the most hidden corners of his memories. In a rush of panic, Hatra turned around. He saw the military advisor walking out of the room.

“I want a detailed report after their next mission,” said Belfor while his entire attention was turned to the enormous gem on his ring. “Each of them must write one.”

“You want them to write a report?” repeated Hatra, surprised.

“With all those years of education, I believe they should be able to write. After the next mission, I want you to send all survivors to me. They will no longer be your concern.”

Shivers ran down Hatra’s spine. He knew well that there was an audit at the end of every project. Even a semi-qualified accountant could notice the exaggerated living costs and missing amounts.

Emperor Fenor Belfor noticed the commander’s pale face and smiled:

“Commander Hatra, I am pleased with the results. Within days, you shall receive another ten thousand Class GW recruits. I am sure that you will train them just as well.”

Suddenly, the dark clouds dispersed, and this became one of the happiest moments in Hatra’s life. In the end, he was not only out of danger but would be rewarded. Even Veles’ presence could not darken the commander’s happiness.

“He does not deserve to train the next cadets,” said Veles to Belfor when they were getting in the emperor’s ship. “He is a thief and has no grain of right mind in his head. He had ten thousand perfect soldiers, and now there are only seven.”

A thin smile rose on Fenor Belfor’s face:

“That makes him perfect for this job.”

The commander could not hear their words but shivered when the military advisor looked at him before entering the ship. The high guests left, and Hatra felt like he was the master of the Universe again. A few days passed, and the new ten thousand recruits arrived. That day, Hatra stopped paying attention to the old GWs.

Hatra’s secretary, Satr, entered the office and walked past the five soldiers. They were summoned after breakfast, and almost at lunchtime, they were still standing in the center of the room. Satr could not see the point in not doing anything productive for so long. He saw what the GW soldiers were capable of, and unlike the commander, Satr respected and even feared them. For a long time, Satr could not understand why the soldiers tolerated this horrible life, but his dedication to the work led him to the answer. There was little to do on Darsk, so Satr decided to reorganize the Archives. Horror chilled his spine when he opened the documents from the first years of the genetically improved warrior’s training. The files and the medical records told shocking stories. The greatest secret was that all soldiers were clones. Since they grew up in Darsk, they only knew the training days here and the missions outside. They had no other place to go, no families, no friends, and the only ones they met were the creators of this nightmarish life. Their contact with the outside world was short and always during missions, and their education covered many subjects, but they were never taught that they had free will and the right to choose their future and way of life. Satr’s fury grew while reading the files. Later, he started having constant nightmares, where the dead soldiers accused him of not helping them. This pressure almost made him spread the truth about Darsk’s secret mission. He stopped himself on time. Sharing the secret of GW’s existence with Evalette’s population would only harm him. Instead, he decided to fill the gaps in the soldier’s education.

When the soldier’s number dropped under two hundred, Hatra ordered all mission reports to be written by the mission’s group leader. Later, the teams’ leaders began reporting to the commander in person. Satr always called them earlier, so they would wait to be received. In the meantime, he spoke with the other administrators about music, art, and everything else that was not part of the training. The soldiers never participated in the conversations, but Satr noticed they were listening. Sometimes, he placed trinkets on his desk where the visitors could see them. Other times, he showed the smiling images of his relatives and told funny stories. His plan worked because the GWs began using common phrases in their reports. This pushed him to put in even more effort. The secretary expected no gratitude or friendship. His actions were a personal rebellion against the horrors done under Belfor and Hatra’s orders.

“Commander,” Satr approached Hatra’s desk. “The last reports are sent to the Imperial Administration on Molefo. We just received a message from Superior Karil from System Lar, informing us that an unregistered ship had crashed on Planet Lar. The superior is asking you to send a team to handle the situation.”

“Can’t he send his guards?” Hatra turned around and sat down. He did not even bother to notice that the soldiers were five instead of seven.

“The accident occurred in Lar’s Sacred Forest,” the secretary read his notes. “The law forbids locals to go there because a deadly curse strikes everyone who dares to go near the trees. It seems that the curse does not apply to outsiders. Superior Karil stated that he would consider this a personal favor.”

A huge smile rose on Hatra’s face. In his dictionary, ‘personal favor’ to a wealthy merchant and leader of a profitable trade system meant piles of money, priceless possessions, or maybe both.

“I cannot refuse to help my old friend, Karil,” said Hatra, finally turning to the soldiers. “Your next mission is to check the crash site on Planet Lar. Bring back everything you find. Satr, inform my good friend Karil that we will help him in his trouble. Inform the Imperial Administration that they are still on a mission.”

The secretary left the room, followed by the soldiers:

“Your ship will be ready by the time you finish your lunch.”

“What a strange sight!” thought Satr, watching them walk away. The files showed that the primary genes for the cadets came from the best families in Evalette. It was a mystery where they found genetic material for Axar because the last recorded encounter with this race was hundreds of years ago.

After all his time here, Satr felt an attachment to the soldiers. When he arrived in Darsk, their number was four thousand two hundred thirty-two. Today, there were only five. Those five saw the deaths of the other nine thousand nine hundred ninety-five soldiers. They never showed emotions, so the secretary felt obligated to grieve for the deceased instead of them. Perhaps he was the only one who cared what happened to them. The secretary was sure that Axar knew his little secret, and the fact that he kept it to himself made Satr respect him even more.

The soldier Bai was also a rare specimen. He came from an extremely dangerous species, and the improvements in his genes made him even more aggressive and vicious. He loved questioning the detained by using all sorts of torture even after the captives had said everything they did or didn’t know. The deaths of the detained individuals were described in the reports as desperate suicides to avoid giving away information. Belfor and Hatra favored Bai and admired his creativity in performing the tasks.

Unlike the addicted to torture, Bai, all questioned by Axar, remained alive and unharmed in most cases. Besides that, his interrogations were extremely short. He always walked into the room, sat down, and asked his questions with a calm and quiet voice. Shortly after that, the answer appeared in the records. No one lied to Axar, and he rarely had to ask twice. The results of his interrogation methods were excellent, but they lacked the bloody spectacle that pleased his superiors.

Satr could describe the other three soldiers with fewer words. Faut could be easily mistaken for a rock, not only in appearance but also in intellect. Ziklat could read every map and terrain, while Opfya could turn everything that fell in his hands into a weapon. Their results were high but could not be compared with those of Bai and Axar.

Day 2

The green spheres over the tree’s branches sensed the approaching dawn and spread into giant leaves. The sun’s golden rays pierced them, transforming them into pale emerald rain. The green world shivered when Sam pushed aside the edge of the enormous leaf. The man roared and stopped on the spot until the pain in his knee settled down. He reminded himself again that he should be grateful for the sensation because it is better than not feeling anything. This revelation came to him while he was searching for other survivors. He realized his incredible luck and praised whichever god saved him during the plane crash. He found an unconscious woman and dragged her out. He returned to look for medicine and took whatever he could from the wreckage. As the night approached, Sam noticed the leaves were curving into huge balls. It did not take long before the plane lost the last support provided by the retracting leaves and fell into the abyss between the trees. Sam managed to grab the woman and take cover in a nearby tree hollow just in time. The flames from the explosion passed by them in the blink of an eye and headed up to the crowns of the trees. Sam made beds from the clothes he took from the plane and lit a fire in front of the tree hollow. He tried to rest, but the pain and the memories of the crash turned his dreams into nightmares. He got up and browsed through the luggage. It took a couple of hours before the woman regained consciousness. Once she did, Sam began missing the silence before she woke up. Bisera, just like Sam, had no idea what had happened. Their limited resources pushed them to look for help. They rested a couple of days and headed toward the treetops, hoping to see the end of the forest, a food source, or a sign of civilization. The idea was great, but once they started climbing, Sam regretted not waiting for a few more days. His body was still bruised, and the pain grew under the weight of the heavy backpack with their supplies. On top of everything else, he had to help his chatty companion.

“Come on, Bibi, climb!”

She took forever to move, and the slow climb put more tension on Sam’s body. The only way to move faster was to push her from behind.

“Sam, watch your hands!” she yelled and tried to slap his hand.

“You already fell on my face once! It was funny, but let’s not make that joke again. Be careful, or the next time you slip, I will move aside and let your butt kiss the branches below.”

“Those shoes are not meant for climbing!”

Sam frowned. Bisera turned out to be a lovely young woman, but her problem was that she was constantly talking, and when she was not talking, she was singing. Sam enjoyed the conversation and had fun with the funny remarks and quotes from movies and books, and he even caught himself humming and singing along with her. That was strange because he could not remember the last time he felt joyful enough to sing. Despite all that, Bisera was talking too much.

“Just keep moving. And stop humming!” said Sam sharply. The moment the words came out of his mouth, he realized that the pain was speaking instead of him. Talking was Bisera’s way to keep her mind away from thinking about the trouble they were in. “I’m sorry. We are almost there. You will sing when we reach the top.”

Once Bisera and Sam stood on the highest branch, they agreed that the effort was worth it. The sun’s approach to the horizon covered everything with gold. Fluffy clouds resembling cotton candy slowly flew toward the darkening sky. Above them, the night was lighting up the first stars. The most astonishing sight was the five moons, each colored green, blue, yellow, red, and silver. The tired climbers saw tree crowns spreading in every direction as far as the eye could see. Wherever they turned, purple fountains jumped over yellow fluffy orbs, pink and green fireworks bloomed above blue leaf spikes, and red flower waterfalls dropped over the multicolored tree stems. Sam and Bisera stood in the middle of a rainbow, gently swayed by the warm wind.

“This is amazing!” sighted Bisera.

“This is not Earth.”

Sam’s comment remained unnoticed. A movement on their right scared them, and they turned, ready to fight any unknown danger. They had not heard of or seen animals, which was another reason to be extra cautious. Their attention was drawn to the enormous green sphere on the top of the tree. Its’ leaves bloomed into a giant red flower.

“It looks just like the fruits I ate. Only there is no fruit in the middle. Too bad, it was tasty,” said Bisera to herself.

“What?” asked Sam. He was shocked that she had done something so stupid and dangerous. “You ate a strange fruit? And you didn’t give me any?!”

She pointed at the flower resembling a dry red bonsai surrounded by a lake of dark red slime.

“Bisera, where are you going?”

The woman ignored his question and climbed on the petals. She felt the same way the previous night, right before she took a bite of the strange fruit. She felt as if the entire world had vanished, and the only thing she had to do was reach the red bonsai.

“Bisera, stop! Don’t touch it! It might be poisonous,” Sam grabbed her hand.

Bisera struck him so hard that he flew back and almost fell off the branch. He grabbed her and tried to carry her away from the flower. Bisera punched him in the face.

“What’s wrong with you?! Stop!” Sam yelled but did not give up.

The petals underneath moved and dragged them inside the pool of red slime. Sam tried to break the leaf dome, but the soft, semi-transparent red petals resisted every hit. His strength was fading with every second, weakened by the pungent aroma of the flower. His body felt heavy, and he turned around to check on Bisera. She was already sleeping. His legs lost all strength, and he fell asleep.

The colorful leaves, the clouds, and the moons were curious about the climbers. If they could speak, they would tell the story of two strange creatures who boldly entered Ha’li’s holy blossom and bathed in his nectar. This was an unthinkable and unforgivable act, so the trees demanded punishment for the trespassers. The Sacred Tree calmed everyone down. He had been interested in the strangers ever since their arrival. Ha’li’s curiosity grew even more after the female creature ate his fruit. Ha’li remembered only two creatures who took a full bite from his fruits and lived to tell the tale. So far, the female Bisera had eaten three different fruits and peacefully slept in the most potent magical substance in existence. The male Sam ate nothing, but he was also exceptional since he was still alive. Ha’li took a glimpse into the future. What he saw created an idea that ran through the fibers of his leaves and down to his deepest roots. Taking action on his vision would not change the future in any way, except maybe everything would be completely different in the end.

“After all,” thought Ha’li, “every future has the right to be changed even if it does not want to.”

Sam and Bisera’s numb bodies flew in the air, surrounded by a fountain of red nectar. Once it was free from the intruders, Ha’li’s blossom bloomed again. The slimy red liquid and the leaves instantly dried and turned into fine dust. The rest of the trees followed his example, and soon, piles of colorful specks flew up into the sky, carried away by the gentle breeze. The five moons had not seen this for thousands of years. Long ago, this event was celebrated by millions, and the festivities lasted for days. Now, Ha’li’s Sacred Forest was forbidden, and the past scared the locals. The moons knew this would be the last time the Sacred Forest spread its spores.

Bisera woke up. Her body felt numb and defiant against the mind’s orders. All she could do was observe the colorful clouds flying over the darkening sky. Then, she felt movement underneath her, and it took less than a second to realize that she was on a leaf, retracting into a ball for the night.

“Khghhhhh…”

Bisera realized that the strange noises were coming from Sam and tried to answer:

“Aagkhaa…,” came out of her throat, and she coughed.

The response was another wheeze from the same direction as the first one. Her speaking attempts led to a choked gurgle that tore her vocal strings. Time dragged into eternity as she tried to move or at least feel her body. Her hearing and sense of smell gave up gradually. Her eyes still worked, so she turned her attention to the sky. The brightest moon tonight was yellow, while the green one they saw last night had faded slightly. The brilliant colors of the moons proved that she and Sam were on another planet. Somehow, they had reached further than any other human being, and now their adventure was about to end before it had even begun.

A glorious eternal hit song echoed in Bisera’s mind at the exact moment when the support under her body disappeared. She fell. Branches and green orbs flew past her numb body. Sam was closer to the base of the leaf and fell after her. His body looked lifeless, and his limbs swayed like a rag doll’s arms and legs.

“Falling like leaves torn by the wind,” Bisera thought. She heard a gurgling noise as Sam’s body flew past her on the way to the ground. All she could do was watch the world like a silent movie. The branches got thicker and bigger, and she realized she was getting closer to the ground. Bisera’s thoughts roamed. She remembered how Sam told her about the great fire caused by the plane’s explosion. There were no signs of burns over the trees. How was that possible? Her thoughts jumped to the strange carvings inside the tree hull. She felt that they might hold the answers she needed. Her mind jumped to her and Sam’s decision to go up instead of down the tree. It was too late to fix that mistake because Bibi was falling, and Sam was probably already dead. Suddenly, her flight stopped. The next song echoed in her head while the last brain cells were trying to escape from the approaching darkness.

***

Superior Karil liked walking in his garden. This became his favorite activity after the Imperial Administration’s Nards took over System Lar’s control. The income on Planet Lar came from trade, but Superior Karil never understood that business. He was a tenth-generation merchant in a wealthy family, so he never needed to do anything for his money to flow in. He became a Superior and Official Representative of System Lar because of the simple rule ‘The Richest Rules All’. This post came with advisors and assistants who did everything for him. Superior Karil’s greatest blessing was his Secretary Mu, who made the ruler’s life even more effortless by overtaking the remaining obligations on himself. As a result, Karil only had to attend meetings with his advisors once a week and make decisions during crises. Since there was no problem that the Nards could not fix, the superior filled his time with feasts and rearrangement of the plants in his garden.

On this pleasant, warm afternoon, he decided to sit under the flowers of the Orange Dukla. As Karil walked, his bright red, lavishly decorated robes bulged out like a ship’s sail illuminated by the setting sun. Far behind the superior walked Secretary Mu and several servants. They were ordered not to speak because their voices could disturb the peace flowing from every leaf in the garden. The superior waved his hand. The servants rushed ahead as fast as possible while being careful not to turn over even a single pebble on the pathway. The obstacle on their path was the low-hanging branches of the Kiprisa tree. This tree was not vicious by nature, but even the slightest wind wildly swayed its branches. Once one tiny branch flew in the air, it drew the rest toward the same direction. The most dangerous weapon of the tree was the thin, sharp spikes that protected the tiny flowers and could easily pierce through anything they touched. The Kiprisa branches trapped the servants, and after a short fight, they walked away with scratches and torn clothes.

“Why do you present yourself in this state?” Karil raised his voice when he noticed their appearance.

“Forgive us, Superior. We were running toward you for enlightenment when we spotted a giant bug in the Kiprisa tree branches. We had to prevail over the pest in the name of the beauty created by you,” bowed Secretary Mu. There was no point in telling the truth because Karil would never believe that some of his plants were dangerous.

“Yes,” said Karil and petted the giant leaf of the Orange Dukla. “Perfection has many enemies. You did well to kill the pest. Do not make me wait so long the next time I call you. I have no intention of waiting for you all day long!”

“We shall punish ourselves most horribly,” Mu bowed low and turned toward the servants. “Did you hear that?! The superior is tired of waiting for you! Later, if I remember, I’ll order your punishment! Bring a chair and refreshments for Superior Karil!”

The servants ran like scared rabbits, tripping over each other.

“Mu, come and see this,” said Karil, walking to a colorful tree. “I have always wondered if all petals of the Tkos can have the same color.”

“Marvelous idea!” Mu overreacted with his enthusiasm.

In the meantime, the servants returned with a giant armchair covered with soft pillows. The superior sat down and took a glass of refreshing drink:

“What tasks do we have for this afternoon?”

“You kindly allowed Lead Scientist Galt Whereamai to be enlightened by your wisdom.”

“Yes, let him come,” said Karil, stirring his cold drink. “What happened to that thing that got us worried? Our good friend said he would take care of it but is still not here.”

“Commander Hatra’s ship is far away. That is the reason he is slow with the execution of your order.”

The word ‘order’ drew a big smile over the superior’s face. Mu smiled on the inside and congratulated himself. He knew that every influential person likes to be flattered, and the stupid ones trust every praising word. Karil was powerless to give orders to the army, especially to someone under Emperor Belfor’s direct command. That could not stop his ego from rejoicing even at the thought of such a possibility. Mu discovered this rich man’s weakness long ago and learned to achieve much with a small compliment. When he took the post, he was pleasantly surprised that Karil, except stupid and selfish, was also absent-minded. He never listened to the conversations because he had someone to remember everything instead of him. Also, Karil never remembered what he had said because there were other people who could do that for him. Mu took over the last of Karil’s functions, but his ambition to become Lar’s Superior was limited by a lack of finances. No matter how the Imperial Administration changed things, Lar’s prime law, ‘The Richest Rules All’, remained. Many ambitious employees threw themselves into grabbing everything in their first years of employment, but not Mu. He waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to become a superior, and nothing could discourage him, especially when he was so close to the prize.

“Answer!” yelled Karil.

“Forgive me, superior!” bowed Mu, torn from his dreams of power. “I was looking at the beautiful blossoms and tried, by your example, to imagine all their leaves the same color. But I am just a secretary with limited knowledge. The effort caused my brain to overheat and shut down. Thank you for saving me from the terrible fate created by my ignorance. Only you are capable of such great enlightenment and endless imagination.”

“Yes, yes. I know. Now, tell me about the horrible beast that threatened the harmony in my garden,” said Karil and relaxed in his chair.

Mu had forgotten entirely about the lie. He was about to continue the made-up story about the bug when Karil interrupted him:

“What is this? Who is running and disturbing my peace?”

A short creature dressed in a yellow and purple robe was running toward them. It had glasses covering most of his face and wore an enormous yellow hat with fluffy balls on thin wires sticking out of it in all directions. The fast speed caused the yellow balls on his hat to fly far behind like a second head. As the short creature ran, different objects and papers tried to escape from his hands.

“Guards!” yelled Superior Karil.

A wall of uniforms appeared out of nowhere and swiped away the short person. The balls on the hat scattered in all directions before being dragged to the muddy ground {If there were a ‘Balls on a Hat Syndicate’, they would undoubtedly file a complaint for this treatment. Everyone knows that every ball on a hat should stick out in its direction. Breaking that rule might lead to casualties. There has never been any official research or exact statistics because a significant number of accidents would cause panic}.

“Salvation,” mumbled Mu and turned to Karil. “No, superior, this is Galt Whereamai, Lar’s Lead Scientist.”

“Why was he running?” Karil’s confusion was great, so he let his ego take charge. “Oh, he is in a hurry to spend more time with me. Now, that is devotion!”

Muffed cries came from under the pile of uniforms.

“I think Lead Scientist Whereamai will appreciate it if the guards get up from him,” hinted Mu.

“Really? Guards, let him go!”

The guards stood up from the purple robes with golden trims, flattened in the mud. Somewhere under the layers of cloth was Galt Whereamai. The Lead Scientist of Lar stood up and swayed as he tried to clean up his clothes from the mud and the grass. His robes were ruined, and the situation with his hat’s ornaments was tragic. Most of the balls were hanging down, soaked with mud and grass. The few heroically surviving golden balls returned to their places like a memory of the hat’s lost splendor.

“Mliah-khah mlia,” said the lead scientist. He shook his head to clear his mind, throwing the remaining balls on the hat into panic. “Nhmdert klo.”

“Is this contagious?” Karil turned to Mu.

“No, master, he obviously lost the ability to speak when the guards pushed him on the ground. I am sure that he will be well any moment now.”

“Tell him to hurry up. I do not have all day to wait for him,” Karil said, bored.

“I am sure he knows,” said Mu, and his cold eyes stabbed the scientist.

In the meantime, Galt Whereamai tried to take all the objects the servants handed over to him. Every time he took something, something else jumped out of his hands and fell on the ground. The servants picked up the objects, gave them to the scientist, and he dropped them again. This happened a few times, and it could probably have lasted forever if one of the servants had not stepped on the purple robe while Galt was taking a step to the side. The giant robes dragged the servant, and the poor man lost his balance and fell. Another servant tried to help him, but they both fell and dragged everyone else. The scientist was the only one standing, so he decided to help the fallen. Galt tripped in his robes and disappeared among the servants already standing up.

Mu was not close with the scientist. He did not even like him, but this situation caused pity in his heart. The feeling was not directed so much to Galt but to the repeatedly dropped precious scientific equipment.

“Stop playing and come here!” Mu’s voice put an end to the wave of clumsiness.

Galt Whereamai walked closer and, during those few steps, managed to sift out the three objects in his hands until there was only one rolled map. The servants gathered everything else and stood behind the lead scientist, ready to assist.

“Thakh you,” said Galt to them with sincere gratitude. He walked toward the superior, and the map jumped out of his hands. He managed to catch the naughty object before it fell into the small decorative lake nearby.

“Speak!” ordered Karil. “Tell us the reason for your presence here today.”

The scientist cleaned up his throat, but that did not stop the first words from running through all vocal cords until they settled in the proper register:

“Superior, I can positively confirm the future events,” said Galt and opened the parchment over the table. The back of the ancient document was covered with glaze from the sweets on the trays.

Mu coughed. Only Galt Whereamai could destroy something faster than a Zuzu worm and get on his face a mixed expression of ‘I did not know that this would happen’ and ‘Oops, I did it again’.

“So, I was saying… I was saying,” continued the lead scientist. “Yes, it turns out that the foretelling of the Alignment of the Moons is coming true. It is, in fact, actually, it is happening right now. As you have noticed, each of the moons lasted a single night, which confirms the prophecy.”

“What prophecy?” interrupted him, Karil.

Galt turned to Mu with the unspoken question, ‘He really doesn’t know?’. The secretary’s calm eyes reminded Galt of who he was about to explain the following phenomenon.

“Right, which prophecy,” continued Galt. “It is written in the legend that a long time ago, the Great Sacred Tree Ha’li called all his followers, the Adee, under the pretext of giving them endless wisdom and enlightenment. When they gathered, he took their lives in horrible ways.”

“If everyone died, then who wrote the legend?” asked Karil.

“Uh?” Galt looked around, scared. Talking about ancient legends was forbidden. Anyone who dared to break the rules was captured by Military Advisor Veles and disappeared forever. Galt took a sip from the glass on the table to calm down. Mu’s displeased expression showed that this was Karil’s glass. Galt continued before the superior also noticed the mistake. “It is not in the records how the story appeared in the records. What is known is that Ha’li will wake up and make the five moons stand behind each other.”

“What will happen then?” the superior asked.

“A beginning of a new era of endless riches and prosperity,” Mu said.

“No,” said Galt. “The records state that the planet and the moons will be completely destroyed. We have three days and this night to evacuate everyone.”

“Or we can ignore the superstitions and concentrate on organizing the celebrations of this year’s Night of the Reborn Moons,” said Mu.

“No!” yelled the scientist. “We have to evacuate! Everyone must leave!”

“You are a scientist, not Lar’s Superior!” Mu raised his voice. “Lar’s citizens always follow the example of our brave Superior Karil. Any whispers of evacuation or a cataclysm will bring chaos and loss of profit. Guards, escort the lead scientist to his office.”

Galt was not going to give up so easily:

“I saw multi-colored clouds coming from the Sacred Forest. Ha’li is awake! Terrible things will happen! Listen to me, Superior Karil….” Galt’s shouts faded in the falling dusk as the guards carried the purple robe and the tiny person inside it more than a step above the ground.

“Could he be right?” mumbled Karil. “Maybe we should evacuate.”

The superior’s thoughts were the last thing Mu needed right now:

“I doubt it. Let us go inside. You may catch a cold out here.”

***

With a dizzy head, Sam tried to sit up. He could not move. He looked down and saw thick, stinky ropes twisted around his body. Sam could not remember how this happened, but he needed to free himself as soon as possible. He tried to tear them by flexing his muscles and failed. He needed something sharp to cut through them, there was nothing useful. He flexed his muscles again but did not even loosen the grip. Sam relaxed, exhausted from the effort, and wondered what sort of trouble he got into. He heard steps, turned, and saw two creatures. Since he climbed to the top of the tree, Sam was certain this was not Earth. He expected that some of the living creatures they would meet might not be friendly or attractive according to human standards. But the creatures standing here looked like something that could not exist even in the craziest nightmares of a mad scientist.

The tall lizard with pale blue and white fur stuck its warty nose in Sam’s face. The ugly thing grunted something and kicked Sam in the ribs. It walked away and started a conversation with the other creature, which looked like a bat without wings with skin in a candy-pink color. They sat down to eat and occasionally checked on their captives.

Sam took the opportunity to look around the camp. There was a container radiating heat and light, several bags, and some strange appliances. The camp was on a branch much larger than any other Sam had seen so far. The tree bark was covered with thick moss. The air was stuffy and smelled like a swamp. His eyes returned to the creatures. Their clothes were torn and filthy, with strangely looking objects hanging on their belts. The idea of blasters and lasers made Sam smile. Who knew that science fiction could help him in real life? Unfortunately, there was no sign of Bisera or any Earthly objects. He concluded that the creatures had not discovered the tree hull or her. Sam tried again to loosen the ropes, but he only gained a few kicks from the pink bat. The lizard stabbed his neck with something that made Sam fly to the kingdom of dreams.

“T’morrow, I won’t carry it!” squeaked the bat, pointing at Sam.

“Easy, Ps! T’ink the anim‘s fine to move. Look it napping,” said the fluffy lizard Tbuh.

“Will boss beat ’s for just one? Oder one fly.”

“I no chase it!”

Ps agreed with a squeak and said, after a deep thought:

“Ot’er smell good. Look good. White like Argu.”

“Is Arglulu. True, but I no chase dead t’at fly in t’is forest… See Yellow Moon. T’nig’t creatures come out. No worry, dummy! Soon, moons will be good. Boss said we gonna make lot of money dis Night of Moons. Now, I sleep, then you. An’ no let Yellow Moon beasts get you,” Tbuh laughed and fell asleep, leaving his scared friend on guard.

***

Mu remained in Karil’s office after the meeting with the advisors. Tonight, the secretary had a reason to celebrate. He was pleased that all merchants and advisors agreed with the changes in the inheritance law. Now, all he needed was the Imperial Administration’s approval. Mu was smiling when one of the senior assistants knocked on the door and entered:

“There are visitors, Secretary Mu. Soldiers sent by Commander Hatra.”

“Bring them to me.”

“Excuse me, Secretary Mu, what made you so happy?”

“I was thinking about Superior Karil’s wise words. Our leader’s wisdom is highly sophisticated.”

“Wisdom, right, right,” mumbled the assistant on her way out. Being already at the end of her life and career, she could remember many things about Lar’s superiors, but never wisdom.

The door opened, and Mu shivered. The sight of the soldiers walking toward him seemed like taken straight out of a nightmare. It was not their weapons that scared Mu. It was their eyes. Somehow, the secretary resisted the urge to hide under Karil’s desk. Instead, he stood up and greeted the soldiers:

“Welcome to Lar. I am Mu, secretary of Superior Karil.”

“Commander Hatra sends his regards to Superior Karil. We are Ziklat, Opfia, Bai, and Axar,” said the tall, skinny soldier in a calm voice.

“The statement said that Hatra is sending us five soldiers.”

“There was an accident,” Bai said with a barely visible joyful grin on his dry face.

“Keep the details to your commander,” Mu waved his hand. “An unknown object crashed in the Sacred Forest. It is not clear what or if something has survived after the crash. Your mission is to bring everything you find. If it is too heavy, we can provide you with machines.”

“Our order is to bring everything back to Darsk. Your superior will receive a report after the discovered objects are examined,” said Axar.

“Superior Karil will discuss this with your commander tomorrow. I have prepared transport for you. Check Lar’s Guide to Plants and Life Forms if you catch something. We do not want to waste time waiting for information on a local vermin,” smiled Mu, but they did not understand his joke. He opened the door for them. “My assistant will show you the equipment room.”

Mu slammed the office door behind the soldiers.

“Please, follow me,” said the old clerk, leading the soldiers down the palace halls.

The uniformed men checked the equipment and headed to the forbidden territory. They crossed the suburbs of the busy town, trying not to draw attention. Even in the middle of the night, the trade on Lar was going at full speed because the merchandise in the late hours differed from the one sold during the day. The fanatical devotion of the merchants to make money had turned the planet into a giant market. If there was a place in the Universe that not only does not sleep but, in fact, does not even blink, then that was Lar.

Bai was astonished by the chaos on the streets. The soldiers rarely visited large cities. When they did, most of the population died shortly after their arrival. Having so many living creatures close to them was unnerving. Bai observed the street crowds and forgot the real danger. Then he felt Axar’s eyes on him. He was sure that Axar knew what happened, but how? Did he see something? If yes, then why did he not say anything? The only explanation was that Axar was after the same goal as him. Bai managed to eliminate the competition but never found the courage to eliminate the blue-eyed soldier. He had not faced him since they were children. Ever since, there had not been a day when those cold eyes did not pierce him. Sometimes, they were silvery, and other times, they were dark blue and barely visible crystals in the darkness of the night. It was as if they were reading his soul and knew everything. They knew about all those soldiers who stood in Bai’s way. And they knew that Faut’s death was not an accident. Bai turned around, ready to see the slight glow of Axar’s eyes. The darkness and the subtle vibrations of the stavlia were playing with his senses. He was not sure if his imagination was playing tricks or if there really was a dark-blue cold light flowing from the thin slit of Axar’s half-closed eyelids. Bai looked away and tried not to think about anything that reminded him of the enemy he still had to defeat.

Day 3

After a long journey in the trunk, Sam found himself in a rusty cage hanging in the air. The monsters cut the ropes around his body and left. He sniffed his clothes and frowned because the nasty smell had soaked in them. That was the least of his problems. Sam was hanging too high above the floor to step on it. He could not reach anything that could help him set himself free.

The creature in the next cage created a sound with something that Sam hoped was a mouth. The horrible smell took over the room, making the other creatures scream.

“Where are your manners!?”

Sam covered his nose and tried to stop the tears. Wiping them only made things worse. His eyes burned as if he had stuffed them with a mixture of onion and hot peppers. Fortunately, a few minutes later, the burning stopped, and he could see again. Sam did not even want to think about what kind of food causes the body to create tear gas. He tried to turn around to see the room behind his back. The cage was terribly small for his size. The significant distance between the bars made sitting in it even more uncomfortable. Sam moved around, and his shoe slipped between the bars. He roared out of pain when a vast, ugly wound appeared on his thigh. He pulled his leg up and pressed the wound, wondering what kind of infectious disease he might catch and if severe bleeding would bring an end to his worries. Sam released the pressure to check the wound and saw the torn flesh healing instantly. He touched the vanishing scar. There was no pain, just a slight itch. That explained how he survived the fall from the top of the tree. His newly discovered ability provoked questions about the source of this superpower.

“Bisera! Are you here?” Sam shouted, hoping she might be in a cage he could not see.

The man’s call provoked screams from the other cages. The loud noise stopped when the door opened at the room’s far end. The pink bat and the blue lizard entered, followed by a bug-like creature. It looked like an overweight beetle with skinny arms and legs, frog-like eyes, and two antennas on its head. The entrance of the bug made the creatures crouch into the corners of their cages. The blue furry lizard grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled it between the bars. Sam hit him in the snout, and the lizard pushed down a couple of cages while flying backward. The bug screamed, and the bat and the furry lizard jumped on both sides of the cell. They held Sam long enough for the insect to inject him with something. They let go of the man’s hands and left the room. Sam looked at the injected spot on his hand and felt the fluid spreading through his body like fire through a pile of dry hay. The unbearable pain clouded his mind and made him lose consciousness. The next thing Sam felt were the hits of the pink bat’s stick.

“… walk alone… ot’er want… wake up…” hissed the blue lizard.

“What did you say?” asked Sam, thinking this was a dream.

“It get it! First time germ do job so hurry,” happily hissed the lizard and opened the cage. “Boss say we take it to market. T’day Client here.”

“What? Do you understand me? Do I understand you?” Sam’s head was ready to explode with pain.

“It is called a translation virus. The pain lasts only through the first few days,” said the bug-like creature and stuck his spiky finger in Sam’s ribs. “I am Dold. Those are Ps and Tbuh who will make your life miserable if you try to run away.”

“I have rights! I insist you let me go right away!”

The monsters giggled while taking the other creatures out of the cages. Their boss stared at Sam. The giant dark man looked like a Dulku, but the general analysis of his blood showed that he did not belong to any known race. Ps and Tbuh found him in the Sacred Forest, which made the strange male creature valuable merchandise. Like every other citizen of Lar, Dold knew the legends about Ha’li, but for the first time in his life, he wondered if there was any truth in them. His Client wanted items from the Sacred Forest, and few things could be more valuable than a living creature caught under Ha’li.

Ps and Tbuh finished tying up the merchant’s property and turned it over to Sam. He was ready to fight, but the trader drugged him with a dart. Sam’s hands hung, and his head tilted to the side. Despite the weakness in his upper body, he could still stand and walk. Once again, the thick, smelly ropes covered him from neck to knees. He felt like a walking ball of yarn.

Dold led his property down the street. It was early morning, so some parts of the market were waking up while others were closing for the day. Most of the shops only changed merchants and remained open non-stop. Thousands of aromas conquered buyers’ and merchants’ noses. Sam tried to remember the path but lost track in the labyrinth of shops and countless colorful stalls. The small street reached the main road that connected the marketplace’s square with Lar’s palace and the landing port in the outskirts. The only high structures in the city were towers with monitors showing products with information about the store where they can be found. Dold stopped the column in the center of the square and waited for his turn to present his products. Tbuh and Ps pulled Sam up on the stage after Dold while the shop’s automatic presentation was on. Thousands of eyes turned toward them.

“Welcome! Welcome, my most dear and generous masters! Dold’s goodies are fresh and juicy today! I have the newest products on the market! For your entertainment, the rarest product in my stockpile will perform a trick typical only to his kind!”

The pink bat pushed Sam to the center of the stage, and his face appeared on the monitors. The crowd stared at him in expectation. Moments passed, but the man was just standing on the scene, stretching his neck. Dissatisfied calls and whistling came from the crowd.

“Do something! Say something!” hissed Dold.

Ps hit the man in the back with a metal rod. Sam felt nothing under the ropes, but a powerful desire to crush the pink bat’s mug burst into his chest. He noticed many guards all over the square and, for a moment, was about to shout for help. He changed his mind because it was clear that the slave trade was legal here, so he would not get any help from them.

“Do something!” Dold yelled at him.

“I am doing,” said Sam calmly.

“What are you doing?” asked Dold, confused.

“Nothing.”

Dold’s eyes darken with rage. For the first time in his career, the livestock did not obey.

“What do you want to sell us? A new type of tree?” laughed someone in the crowd.

Dold turned to the public in an attempt to protect his reputation:

“He is from an endangered species! The last heir of a lost civilization. The blood test….”

“Endangered species! Ha! It is just an Ustu you dragged out of a mine,” yelled someone, and everyone laughed.

Another insect joined Dold on the stage and pointed toward the stage exit:

“Your time is up.”

“I have new Poti, Celjlios, and many other fresh products! Come to Dold! Come to buy the best merchandise!” yelled the merchant while the market’s guards pushed him off the stage before the eyes of the laughing public.

Sam’s reward for his performance was to be locked in a crowded cage with the rest of the merchant’s products. At least they removed the ropes, and he slowly regained complete control over his body. Different buyers came to see Sam out of curiosity. During the next few hours, many of Dold’s products were bought as servants or toys for children. The buyers who saw Sam’s performance viciously bargained for the price.

“I am losing money because of your performance!” yelled Dold.

“But I’ve done nothing,” smiled Sam calmly.

“That is the point!!!” screamed the merchant, hitting Sam with a stick. He missed, and the stick struck one of the bars. It bounced back and hit the merchant in the face.

Sam kept smiling. Hours passed, during which he could only look at the customers with the same curiosity they stared at him. Sam separated them into several groups, the largest being the insect-like creatures. Some looked like Dold, while others exceeded in appearance, even the most extravagant specimens of the Earthly insect kingdom. Sam could think of a few people who would do anything to have them in their herbariums. He almost laughed aloud when he imagined a giant pin piercing the merchant’s body. The other aliens were so different in size and shape that Sam could not classify them. Some human-like species were interested in buying him because of his impressive physique, but Dold refused all offers. After one offer, the merchant even shed a tear and hit the cage to calm himself down. Sam asked about the local prices and trade ways and realized why Dold had difficulty rejecting the offers. Every merchant had an important customer, the Client, who was the first to choose from the new products. The Client was entitled to request certain products, and the merchant was bound to get them. Currently, Sam was the only specimen that matched his Client’s requirements. The greedy flame in Dold’s soul tempted him to sell Sam for a higher price and tell his buyer that he had to destroy the spoiled product to avoid contamination. But the merchant did not act upon this urge because if the Client ever found out the truth, he could choose another merchant to do business with. It was clear that Dold was greedy but not stupid.

Sam had little success in intergalactic negotiations with the buyers because he could not convince them that selling intelligent creatures was a crime. There was no hope for miraculous salvation, so Sam had to escape alone. He observed and waited for the right time. When Dold opened the cage to get one of his products, Sam pushed him and Tbuh to the ground. Ps chased him until Sam turned over a stall in front of him, and the pink bat fell. The fugitive took a left turn and was just about to take another turn and disappear into the crowd when something stung him in the back. A moment later, the giant man collapsed on the dusty street. Tbuh and Ps dragged him back to the cage and tied him up. A lot of time passed before Sam could feel his body again. This escape plan failed, but it was fun to see how the merchant and his men attended to the wounds they got while trying to stop him. Sam had never had a reason to use his muscles outside of the gym except to impress girls. The pleasant feeling of whacking someone lit up a savage sparkle he never thought he had. Sam’s mind got busy with the details of the next escape plan.

The setting sun brought clients with hungry eyes. Sam was in a cage with the remaining new products reserved for Dold’s Client. The other two cages were old merchandise, and that caused their inhabitants to panic. According to the market’s sanitary requirements, the sellers were obligated to remove products that remained for more than one moon. Overdue traders were fined, and the product had to be destroyed anyway. An exception was made only for an item kept for the Client or because the merchant had received a deposit to guarantee that the product would be collected. One of the meat merchants viciously argued with Dold about the price of the products. Eventually, they reached an agreement, and the meat merchant left happy with a long line of products. Despite a good deal, Dold kept shouting at his subordinates.

The merchant’s mood changed drastically when he looked down the crowded street for the thousandth time today and saw how buyers, merchants, and merchandise moved aside to make way for the beautiful palanquin covered with orange curtains. Dold jumped happily and ordered his men to prepare the products while he greeted the Client. Sam was brought to the line of livestock behind the palanquin, but this time, there were no stinky ropes around him. Sam felt that his luck was turning, and now all he had to do was wait for the right moment to escape. As they moved through the streets, he looked for the best direction, but every street was as crowded as the next. Other products had the same idea as him and ran in different directions. Some of them managed to take a few steps before the orange drapes’ guards killed them on the spot. The bodies were loaded on a wagon at the end of the column, and the line of products continued to move ahead.

“Yo’ master like no trouble,” said Tbuh to Sam. “Yo’ run, yo’ die. Get it?”

Sam nodded, still shocked by the sight. The orange veils swayed as the palanquin continued to advance down the street on the shoulders of the carriers. Dold was speaking with the Client. The guards walked on both sides of the products, and only Sam had Ps and Tbuh as extra security. Dold knew that the guards shot to kill, so the precautionary measure was not so much to protect Sam as it was for him to get his full payment.

Further down the road, more palanquins with colorful curtains and groceries joined the column. The long line of servants and purchases reached the center of a small square. The livestock stopped next to rocks of different sizes covered by slowly drying multicolored stains. Sam almost threw up when he saw how a few merchants dragged their products to the rocks and killed them. In an attempt to erase the horrible scene from his mind, he turned to the shops around the square. The next moment, he realized that this is where the products are cut to pieces. It was not hard to figure out that this was the market’s slaughterhouse. With every second, the panic among the Client’s livestock grew, and four more products tried to escape. They all were shot, and their bodies were sent to the nearby shops for further processing.

“Hey!” Sam turned to Ps. “Do we stop here?”

“Yeah.”

This answer pushed Sam to burst into a passionate prayer:

“God, I am not a saint, but surely, I don’t deserve to end like this. I see I’ve made you angry, and I deserve punishment. But if I end up in someone’s belly, I won’t have the time to correct my mistakes. If I survive, I’ll do my best to help many people,” Sam could not take his eyes off the bloody rocks a few steps away. “I’ve done some good things, too. I had a big company and gave work to many people. I used to help my classmates with their homework. They beat me up a little bit at first, but that is how things are at school. And I helped my first landlady to take out her trash. I found her crazy dog when it got lost. I even ate the yucky biscuits and drank the viciously sweet tea she used to make when I visited her to pay my rent. That is also a good deed from a certain point of view.”

“Get ready!” shouted the chief of the orange veils’ security.

A thick yellow liquid resembling honey ran down the stone close to Sam. The setting sun’s soft rays reflected from the transparent liquid, causing the surface to sparkle over the older, colorful stains.

“I will die covered in golden slime,” whined Sam, disgusted. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Fine. I’m ready.”

Sam faced the rock and lost all connection with the world while concentrating on his upcoming doom.

“C’mon!” Ps pushed him roughly.

“What? How? You said that we stop here!” Sam said, surprised.

“Yeah,” nodded the pink bat.

“But then we continue the trip,” said Sam.

“Yeah,” agreed Ps.

Sam laughed as he walked further away from the terrifying square. It was his fault that he decided to ask a moron questions of vital importance. The products walked through the narrow market streets for a long time, but Sam was happy knowing how close he was to permanent immobility. Once they reached the end of the city, everything was loaded on vehicles, and the trip continued to the docks. Sam’s professional curiosity pushed him to understand how the vehicles fly without making any loud noise. He intended to ask about their mechanism when he had the chance to communicate with an intelligent creature.

The colorful buildings of the market remained far behind, replaced by the docks’ gigantic cargo cranes. They rose high above the ground while moving various containers from and to the hulls of hundreds of spaceships. The loaded ships flew away, making space for others. Sam looked back at the scary market and the strange planet. He had no idea what the future held for him, but at least he was leaving this place. Far in the distance, he saw the forest where the slave hunters found him. Sam silently said goodbye to Bisera and promised to return to Lar and find her. He hoped that her fate would be better than his.

The vehicles stopped next to a giant ship with an oval-shaped hull in the same bright orange color as the buyer’s drapes. Six openings appeared on both sides of the ship’s hull. Metal plates formed one giant wing and four smaller ones on each side of the ship. In the meantime, the servants placed the non-living products on a moving conveyor line, which took them through a wide metal tube. Other servants on the other side of the tunnel put the products in crates and placed them on the loading platforms, taking them to the ship’s hangar.

The livestock’s de-contamination was last. The security pushed the animals through the tunnel and then tied up the slaves two meters apart from each other. Their arms were spread and tied to the metal railings on both sides. The automatic conveyor line moved and carried Sam and the rest inside the tube. The doors on both ends closed, and darkness fell over the tied-up products. A stinky liquid poured from multiple sprinklers, covering Sam from head to toe. The sprinklers stopped for a moment before another liquid with a different smell and temperature flew out through them. When the last blast stopped, Sam managed to catch his breath and tried not to scream while the mixture of liquids stung his eyes and filled his ears. The tunnel’s dark walls become transparent, and the chemicals over his body react to the sunlight. Deafening screams echoed, but Sam’s empathy faded while the crazy itch burned his entire body. The sprinklers returned with streams of air bathing his skin. The following spray felt like small sand grains that mercilessly stabbed and scratched him everywhere. When the sandblast stopped, Sam risked opening his eyes. The good news was that the itch was gone, and the bad one was that the column had thinned out. The man looked down and saw that his clothes were gone. A puddle straining through the bars on the floor had his shirt and pants colors. New sprinkles poured cold liquid from head to toe. While trying to free himself from the railing, a stream crossed his face, and the liquid instantly formed a thick layer across his nose and mouth. Sam turned and twisted in an attempt to reach his face, but the strong chains kept his hands far apart. He strained every muscle until, finally, the pipes ringed under the intense pressure of his arms. Sam cleared his face and took a deep breath. Mechanical arms reached down from the ceiling and moved fast around his body. Their chaotic movements transformed the thin strings coming out from the sprinklers into clothes. In a few seconds, wide pants and a blouse covered Sam’s body. Both ends of the tunnel opened, and the conveyor line moved again.

“I feel like a chihuahua showered in a car wash,” mumbled Sam. The security approached him with their weapons, ready to shoot. “Easy, guys! I come in peace.”

The guards remained with their guns pointed at Sam while a dozen short, fat caterpillars ran to inspect the broken pipes. During their discussion, they constantly looked at the giant man, the broken railings, and back at him. Their excited conversation involved screaming and hitting each other on the heads. Finally, the senior staff member walked to the orange drapes to inform the master about the extent of the damage. Two others enter a giant crate while the rest continue to assess the destruction created by Sam.

In the meantime, Dold had an unpleasant conversation with the Client.

“You sold me copies,” said a quiet voice behind the orange drapes.

“Me? No! I didn’t know! I would never allow myself to sell low-quality products to my Client! Never! The Client gets the best things!” The merchant’s eyes looked at the armed security.

The buyer heard the short caterpillar’s report and continued:

“Who will pay for the cleaning machine?”

“But he… Your property did it… It ain’t my fault!”

“Who sold him to me?”

Dold looked around in panic. If he was lucky, he would get out of that situation with only tremendous financial losses. He continued:

“He is strong!”

“Much,” hinted Ps to his boss.

“Very strong,” repeated the merchant. “Good product! And, as I said, we found him in the Sacred Forest.”

Dold made the mistake of getting too close to the curtains while whispering the last words. A few guards pointed their loaded weapons at him until he stepped back.

“This is a bad deal. I am considering reporting the situation,” said the Client sharply.

Troubles with the Nards and the Imperial Administration scared every merchant on Lar more than death. A complaint about fraud from the Client could cost the merchant’s trade permit.

“On the other hand, Dold, you and I have done good business for a long time,” the voice behind the curtains was calm and kind again. “I know that somehow we will overcome that misunderstanding.”

That’s what the shopkeeper was waiting for. He continued with confidence:

“Yes, that is true. I will be eternally and deeply grateful if I can correct this misunderstanding. Perhaps, with another interesting object?”

“I want everything your idiots can find in the forest. Send them again as soon as possible,” ordered the orange drapes.

The Ruby Moon shined in the sky when Sam’s turn came to be transported with the rest of the livestock. That loading process lasted longer than expected because of the security measures. The guards were alert after the huge man tore the thick railings that could hold a raging pebod. They tied up Sam with an iron rope as thick as his wrists and put him on the ship with the rest of the products.

“A slave,” thought Sam. This world circled in his mind ever since he woke up and found himself tied up. He had to do something to escape, but what? Now, he had to avoid getting into more trouble and know his enemy before making another stupid escape attempt, which could cost his life.

“And then what?” asked a quiet voice inside his head.

“First, I have to survive. Then we’ll see,” said Sam quietly.

Day 4

Bisera had the unpleasant feeling of ruffled feathers all over her body. There was also a slight itch under the scales of her tail. And maybe she should do something about the tiny worms in her roots, but it was not urgent. She opened her eyes and saw the bright red moon. Bisera sat up, begging the world to stop spinning. Her hands were sticky from the juice of another strange fruit that lay around in pieces.

“I have to stop eating everything I find. I might get food poisoning or something. Sam! Are you here?”

There was no answer or point in looking for him in the middle of the night. Sam could have been in danger or even dying, but she could barely keep her eyes open. Bisera promised herself she would search for him tomorrow. Now, she needed to find a place to sleep. Her eyes explored the silent, gloomy forest illuminated by the ruby-red moonlight and noticed a familiar sight. The tree hollow she and Sam used as a hiding spot was on the higher branch. All Bisera had to do to get to safety was climb up the tree bark about thirty meters and go to bed. She was so tired that the task seemed impossible, so she split it into steps. First, she stood up and held the strong urge to shake off her fur. What happened? She remembered strange animals even though she had not seen a living creature besides Sam. Was she flying? Why did she taste a tree bark in her mouth? Bisera dragged herself to the tree stem. To focus on the climb, she pushed all questions aside. The only one she could not erase was what happened to Sam.

“He is so far away that I can’t see him,” the thought ran through her mind, clear and strong as a proven fact, and vanished into the ruby-colored darkness.

Climbing up was pretty easy because the tree bark was so wrinkled that every dent was as deep as a stair. Despite this, she stopped briefly to rest and clear her mind. One of the things Bisera ignored was that she could see clearly in the middle of the night as if it was the brightest day. She walked inside the tree hull, ready to drop on the floor. Most of the objects salvaged by Sam were scattered around, but at least the improvised beds from clothes were still intact. Bisera promised to clean up the mess tomorrow and immediately fell asleep.

The Sacred Tree observed Bisera closely because she was one of the most fascinating creatures he had ever met. It was too early to tell the outcome, but something about her felt suitable for the challenging task ahead. She fell asleep in his hollow, and Ha’li turned his attention to his daily matters. Lately, the days in the Sacred Forest have become too dull. The trees greeted and sent away the sun behind the horizon but remained subject to the five moons. Every moon marked the passing of time by bringing a new season. In Ha’li’s world, everything followed an established order, which would have continued if the intruders had not appeared. They started a chain of events that could change everything by leaving things the way they should have been in the first place. Ha’li found all this incredibly amusing. Since he was a tree, he could express his laughter only with a gentle sway of the leaves. Interesting events were coming his way, and he was excited about them. The key figure in his plan became the female creature that could eat all of his fruits. Just a drop from one fruit’s juice was powerful enough to kill five hundred of his students. The strongest Adee increased their powers by dropping three drops of his less potent fruits in the lake, and each of them took just a sip of the water. So far, Bisera ate all his fruits and fell into his blossom. She was alive and getting more powerful than anyone he had ever met in his thousands of years. It was easy to figure out that Bisera was a Dar, and there was no doubt that Military Advisor Veles would come for her once he sensed her presence. Ha’li spread his green leaves to hide her from the All-Seer, and his plan seemed to work so far. In the meantime, the Sacred Tree wished to see how far the woman could go with the help of his fruits and, most of all, what she would do then.

The Red Moon stepped away as the sun took over the sky. The Sacred Tree moved his leaves and let a soft sunray fall all the way down to the ancient temple of his followers. The light rushed in, chasing away the shadows in the tree hull before falling on the floor near Bisera. The woman’s eyes glided through the light and explored the walls. The more she looked at the carvings, the more this place looked like a room created by intelligent creatures. Evidence supporting this theory was the symmetric entrance, carved walls, and the smooth, almost polished floor. This forest was mysterious, but she felt no fear despite all the strange and dangerous events that had happened to her. On the contrary, Bisera felt safe and calm.

“Rubies and emeralds,” Bisera smiled, thinking of the enchanting differences between the nights and the days on this planet. It was as if the moons were jewels that took turns illuminating the world.

Bisera felt rested and ready to find Sam. She jumped out of bed and browsed through the scattered belongings. She ate a waffle and threw the remains of the food, the medical kit, and a flashlight in her backpack. She looked around for something else that may be useful in her search, but there was nothing of value in the tree hollow. Bisera felt guilty for not looking for Sam sooner and had to prepare herself for a horrific sight. Logic stated that Sam is dead, but following the same logic, she had to be dead, too. This conundrum gave her a headache, so she left the mystery to solve itself and headed down the tree. The trip was easy and quite pleasant until her shoe slipped on the moss covering the tree bark. A fall with a surprisingly safe landing made Bisera wonder if she could do it again, only this time on purpose. The attempted jump was successful, and she continued hopping through the vast distance between the branches. The fun turned into a fright when she missed the marked branch and landed safely on the next one. Looking up, Bisera realized they were over one hundred and fifty meters away.

“Good food and fresh air do miracles,” said Bisera. There was lots of fresh air, but her last decent meal was a slice of pizza before the flight. After that, it was just airplane food, a few waffles, and strange fruits. Her thoughts returned to the night she ate the first fruit. She could not stop thinking that her life might not have gotten so complicated if she had not eaten it. Maybe Sam would still be here. Maybe they would have found a way out of the forest together. But, on the other hand, she felt those fruits were the best thing that ever happened to her.

The growing distance between the branches, thick fungus on the tree logs, and diminishing light hinted that Bisera was getting closer to the ground. The last jump took her to a branch where she could see the dark green earth between the trees. Bisera stopped, called for her friend, and listened to the forest’s silence. She was so focused on hearing his answer that the sudden noise sounded deafening. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.

“This club has a terrible sound system,” she said while trying to stand up in the sticky mud.

Her attempts only made her feet sink deeper. The buzzing sound was getting closer, so she needed to escape the mud before some giant bee appeared. She wondered if jumping up would be just as easy. Her attempt failed, and she found herself in the mud again.

“Ohh! The trajectory is key,” concluded Bisera, staring at the human-shaped mud print on the lowest branch. She jumped again and, this time, managed to grab the bark and climb up.

Bisera hid behind the giant moss spheres growing on the tree a second before the source of the sound appeared. The buzzing sound brought four creatures under the tree. They wore identical clothes and used levitating vehicles. The woman needed to know more about them before showing herself, so she remained still and waited to see what they would do next. It became clear that the strangers were searching for the plane. Bisera decided to show herself, but when they removed their helmets, she immediately reconsidered her decision. The strangers were not humans, so there was no way of knowing how they would treat her. Her heart started beating faster, and thousands of thoughts ran through her head. She knew that the only way to find all the answers was to show herself to the locals. What stopped her was that they reminded her of soldiers. She could have a much better chance to make friends with a child or a friendly scientist. The idea of being discovered by soldiers led to thoughts of imprisonment and medical examinations, which most likely would end with a dissection. Bisera decided to observe them and let them find her. Her curiosity spiked even more when she noticed that they were different from each other.

After a short conversation, the soldiers split up, and Bisera decided to go after one of them. Sandy, as she called him because of his skin with the color of dry sand, turned out to be the bad guy in the scary movie. Her breath stopped when she saw Sandy breaking another soldier’s neck. The killer left the crime scene, and she dared to go near the soldier lying in the mud. Surprisingly, he was not dead. His little eyes, hidden in deep eye sockets, stared at her.

“Kill me,” his breath wheezed.

“No! I can’t,” said Bisera. Later, she was about to wonder what scared her more – that the stranger asked her to end his life or that she was able to understand what he said.

“Yes,” said he. His eyes were calm even though he knew that he was about to die.

Bisera looked at his neck and could swear that she could see the broken bones like in an X-ray picture. The mud was swallowing the soldier’s immovable body, so she had to act fast. She never thought she was capable of murder, but could she leave him to choke to death in the mud? The sober judgment reminded her that soldiers sometimes do terrible things, so he probably deserves his fate. Another part pointed out that no one deserves to die in such a horrible way. Bisera grabbed his hands and tried to pull him out. His body felt extremely heavy and did not move.

“I can’t pull you out,” cried Bisera.

His eyes turned to the weapon.

“There has to be another way,” she said but took the gun. “Do you have a radio? Do you want me to call the rest of your team?”

His eyes turned to the trigger:

“There.”

“No, I can’t. There has to be another way. Can’t your friends help you?”

“No. Do it now.”

Bisera looked into his eyes. She felt she owed him something, but she had no idea what.

“What is your name? I am Bisera.”

“Ziklat.”

“Ziklat,” she repeated. Her eyes clouded because of the tears, but she smiled while saying his name. “I am sorry!”

The soft light from the barrel illuminated the darkening forest. Bisera walked away, sniveling quietly. Behind her, the mud hid the last signs of the soldier Ziklat. Bisera began her climb up towards the tree hull with the soldier’s backpack. Guilt and doubts tortured her because she knew there had to be a better way to help a dying man. She could not have let him suffocate in the mud. Why did he not agree to call his friends for help? Did they all want him dead? Bisera knew what she did was a crime and intended to take responsibility for her actions. The idea to go to the soldiers completely vanished from her mind. If they were killing each other, she did not wish to think what they would do to her. She needed to sleep and hoped that the horrors of this day would fade by tomorrow.

While climbing, Bisera heard the buzz getting near and hurried up. She reached the tree hollow as the disc of the rising blue moon spread her sapphire rays over the forest. The woman noticed that all the leaves were still open even though it was already night. Ghostly darkness embraced the trees, and silence echoed in her ears. In the next moment, something invisible threw her on the floor of the tree hull.

***

The daylight left the deepest parts of the forest to the greasy-green fog rising from the Sacred Forest’s mud. Slight sparkles flared in the soft mist and crashed into the dark soldiers’ uniforms.

“Where is Ziklat?” asked Axar.

The others did not know. If Ziklat had found something or needed assistance, he would have informed them over the radio.

“Ziklat, where are you?” Axar’s question remained without an answer. He called the soldier a few more times without success.

“We look for him,” suggested Opfya.

“It is against the regulations,” objected Bai. His black eyes sparkled.

“We continue with the mission. Let us camp on the higher branches. The fog is getting thicker here,” continued the blue-eyed soldier.

They head up toward the night sky in silence. The blue-eyed soldier noticed movement on one of the lower branches, but the silhouette melted into a tree stalk. Axar checked the reference book and found no information about an animal capable of changing its’ color. He also studied the Sacred Forest’s legends, but ghosts seemed a stupid explanation for what he saw. Axar left aside the suspicions of invisible creatures and concentrated on the report he had to write. The devices found traces of simple alloy. No one in Evalette would use it to build ships because it was not strong enough. If the strange ship’s components were made of this alloy, it would not have been made in the empire. Axar hoped that the remains of biological material they gathered would be sufficient for the scientists to determine the passengers’ species.

***

Bisera coughed out the liquid. She tried to get up, but the invisible attacker held her and kept pouring juice down her throat from another strange fruit. She kicked the attacker, and he broke the icicles hanging over the hollow’s entrance as he ran away.

“And don’t come back!” gasped Bisera, coughing out the liquid.

When she could breathe, she noticed the changed tree hull. The floor was covered with thick ice, and frost crawled up the walls toward the high, dark ceiling. Bisera walked outside and stopped, astonished by the breathtaking sight. It was as if a sculptor used only blue and black ice to recreate a forest. The tree barks were under thick ice and snow, and the leaves had become giant ice sculptures. Snowflakes as big as her palm fell from the sky, gracefully swirling among the trees. Despite the effort, the thick clouds could not hide the bright disc of the blue moon. Bisera returned to the hollow and looked for something to help her start a fire. A thick layer of ice covered all suitcases and even the soldier’s backpack. She was surprised that she didn’t feel cold despite her light clothing. She blew out, and her breath crystallized in front of her face.

“It’s freezing, but I am not cold.”

This conclusion proved that she overcame another impossible situation for a human to survive. It was time to search for the soldiers. Perhaps they could explain this strange world to her. The only thing that stopped her was fear of what would happen after they discovered she was different. The walk in the hollow could not help her find the answers to her questions. It was clear that she would not freeze to death, but boredom was another kind of killer. She went outside and looked down. The soft light piercing through the ice-covered leaves in the darkness of the abyss below could be the soldiers. She decided to keep watching them and decide whether to show herself or look for a way out of the forest alone.

Bisera climbed down the frozen tree stem. Her shoe slipped on the ice, and she managed to stop sliding a few branches below. A cloud of frost created by her fingernails joined the snowflakes that covered her. Bisera held her breath, listening to the silence in the frozen forest. It seemed like the soldiers did not notice her majestic descent. She approached and stopped on the branch above their camp.

***

The enraged Karil circled his office for hours. The loss of profit and the growing number of frozen citizens and guests could cost him his position as Superior of Lar. At the beginning of the emergency meeting, his advisors were full of ideas. Now, their solutions have proved to be insufficient. The climate shield reached critical levels of overheating, and it was on the verge of exploding. The entire Lar City could freeze if the generator failed. Even though the whole planet was suffering from the cold, the other fifteen settlements were not in such a bad state because the scientists proved that the cold was coming from the Sacred Forest. Karil had always hated Ha’li’s trees, and now he regretted not cutting them when he had the chance. The atmosphere generators had taken over air production long ago, so no one would notice a few missing trees.

“You assured me that there is nothing to worry about. Now, we are freezing because of your incompetence!” Karil yelled.

“Superior, there was no way that we could predict such a harsh climate,” said the advisor of the Blue Moon Matters.

“Where is that stargazer? It seems he is the only one who knows what is happening here! Send for him,” ordered Karil.

“Excuse me, superior, but a scientist has no place here,” Secretary Mu said.

“Bring him here!” Karil ordered and sat on his chair. So many years had passed without the slightest problem, and now he had to deal with a global cataclysm.

In another part of Lar’s palace, Lead Scientist Galt Whereamai was packing his possessions. It was not hard to figure out who would be blamed for the weather. He tried to warn Karil about the upcoming cataclysm, but the horrible Secretary Mu constantly blocked the attempts. There was no point in staying on Lar when no one took his advice seriously. He foretold the change in the trajectory of the dangerous asteroid two years ago. No one listened, and the planet was almost destroyed. Galt was not only not rewarded, but Secretary Mu even suggested punishment. This time, the situation was far worse, which meant that big trouble was coming down the short scientist’s way.

“Guards! Open up!”

Galt jumped, scared by the loud shouts, and banging on the door.

“Superior Karil summons you,” said the guard.

“Regarding what?” kindly asked the astronomer and opened the door.

“Come now!”

“I, yes, yes… Just let me take a….”

The huge nightgown was harshly pulled out of the door along with the short scientist inside it.

“Well, all right. I guess I don’t need my coat. It must be warm in the superior’s office,” mumbled the scientist. He pulled down his hat and embraced his body with his hands to protect it from the cold in the corridor.

The guards took Galt through the palace and opened the meeting room’s door. The warmth embraced the scientist, but he could not enjoy it.

“Explain!”

“E-excuse me?” Galt startled in confusion. The superior’s anger distracted him from the pleasant sensation of feeling the blood circulating through his toes.

“Superior Karil wants you to explain the reason for the sharp climate changes and what we can expect in the future,” said Mu.

“There is nothing to explain,” Galt said. “The weather is dependent on the moons. Now, we are in the period of the Blue Moon, which means cold weather.”

“Why do the plants not protect themselves? My entire garden is destroyed!”

No one could believe their ears. Thousands of citizens and guests of the planet were losing their products and lives, and the superior cared only about his flowers.

“Because” answered Galt, “for thousands of years, the cycle of each moon has been seventy-six days. The plants prepare themselves for the upcoming cold during the last days of the Red Moon. This time, they had no time.”

“My beautiful flowers… So young, so fragile… They perish!”

One of his advisors dared to interrupt the superior’s whining:

“Your subjects are also facing hard times. What measures are you going to take?”

“What measures!?” Karil was surprised. “They can leave the planet whenever they like! They can put clothes on and get warm. Look at the little blossoms falling under the pressure of the freezing wind.”

“Now, I only need a new robe,” thought Mu and smiled, seeing the faces of the advisors. It was his time to become the hero. “I advise turning on the military shield to support the climate barrier.”

The advisors nodded in agreement.

“What about my flowers?” whined Karil.

“The Silver Moon will bring a new cycle, right?” Mu’s eyes were fixed on Galt.

“Ah? Hum. I guess so,” said Galt. The scientist had no idea if that was true. He just wanted to return to his warm room.

“You do not sound so sure,” Karil snapped at him.

“Well,” the scientist’s throat was dry, “this is the greatest cataclysm in Lar’s history since Ha’li fell asleep after the last Alignment of the Moons. As I mentioned earlier, some scientists believe that the whole planet will be destroyed,” said Galt and stopped. No one wished to hear that, so he tried to escape the situation. “With the Silver Moon, a new cycle will start probably without major tragic consequences.”

“Probably,” repeated Mu. This was the perfect time to get rid of the scientist. “Probability is not a good answer. Do you know what will happen tomorrow? Can you read the stars?”

“Well, I cannot see the stars because of the clouds,” said Galt before realizing the question’s goal.

“Your incompetence has no place here. Leave this meeting,” said Mu and gave a sign to the guards to take the scientist out of the office. Then he turned to the advisors. “Now, if nothing else is to be done, I will order the guards to turn on the military shield.”

Everyone agreed. The decision was made, and Mu went on:

“When the storm passes, I will organize rescue groups to help the distressed.”

“How can you be sure it will stop?” nagged the superior.

“With the sunrise, the power of the Blue Moon vanishes. We have to wait just a couple of hours until everything returns to normal,” said Mu with a voice colder than the weather outside. “It is too dangerous outside for the advisors. I ordered chambers to be prepared for all of you.”

“Fine. Send a report to the Imperial Administration,” said Karil, staring at the ice sculpture his garden had turned into.

Mu could not care less about the safety of the advisors. The important thing was that they would be together to discuss Karil’s incompetence in dealing with this situation. They would be his most loyal supporters when he reached for the position of Superior of System Lar.

***

Bisera concluded that Sandy was even more unpleasant up close. His sinister black eyes were like two endless pits, and his skin looked like desert mud. She could not tell which was a scar and which one was a skin pore. Sandy looked like every beautician’s gold mine. The coldness radiating out of him and the recent murder turned him into a living example of a serial killer from a horror movie. Bisera decided to stay away from him.

She could not see the face of the second soldier because his back had turned to the light. He looked shorter and not as strong as the other two. His hair, if it could be called that, resembled red moss. His skin was orange and covered with small yellow scales on his neck.

The last soldier was leaning on the tree stalk with his hands crossed over his chest. Bisera moved to see his face better and noticed he resembled humans more than the others. She could swear that when she saw him for the first time, his skin was bright white like hers, and his hair was silvery. Under the faint light, he looked more like a perfect dark grey marble statue cut through by deep blueish scars. Bisera stared at him in admiration. Unique in appearance and a bit scary, he remained one of the most attractive men she had ever seen.

Bisera could enjoy the sight of the soldier all night long, but Sandy caught her attention. Very quietly and without sudden moves, he took a small box out of his bag. He opened it, took out a thin tube, and put something inside it. Bisera thought that this resembled the tubes used by some tribes on Earth to shoot poisonous darts while hunting. Knowing what Sandy did a few hours ago, Bisera decided not to allow anyone else to be killed before her eyes. She rejected the idea of showing herself. The alternative was to wake the sleeping men by throwing something at them. There was only ice and snow around. In her anger, she hit the frozen branch, causing the ice to break into small pieces. There was no way that she was that strong, but it was not the time to admire her abilities. She threw a small piece of ice at the handsome soldier. Although the ice flew a few centimeters away, the man opened his eyes.

Bai felt the blue eyes fixed on him and hid the small tube in his sleeve:

“Having nightmares?”

Axar did not answer. He looked at the other soldier and saw that he was sleeping. His eyes returned to Bai.

“Sleep without worries. It is my watch,” said Bai with a smile that could frighten any monster hiding under the bed.

Axar’s glowing blue eyes hid under the eyelids. Bai waited for a while and shot the poisonous crystal. The box with the weapon vanished inside his bag. He felt ready to concentrate on the upcoming duel with Axar. Tomorrow, he was about to remove the last obstacle standing between him and the post promised by the emperor. A crooked smile rose on the soldier’s face when he thought of his ambitious plan. One day, he would not hesitate to take Military Advisor Veles’ place. Bai only had to continue with his persistence in removing the competition.

Bisera saw how the dart split the frozen air and got stuck between the yellow scales of the sleeping soldier. The thin crystal got smaller until it disappeared completely. Sandy’s pleased expression made her sick. She threw one more piece of ice at the blue-eyed man to prevent the death of the third soldier. It hit the tree beside him, but he did not open his eyes. Bisera thought that he might pretend to be asleep on purpose. Maybe they all wanted to kill each other. She could never understand the backstabbing behavior of some people. She was not on Earth, but here, the creatures were just as evil and cunning as most people back home.

Bisera had no desire to watch the soldiers and returned to the tree hollow. She was so furious that she did not even ask herself how it was possible to climb up the smooth ice without slipping. She tried to relax on the pile of clothes, but they had frozen unevenly and hurt her back, so she lay on the floor. Dark thoughts circled in her head like vultures. What did her life turn into? First, the plane crashed in this strange world, she lost Sam, she killed a man, and now she allowed another man to be killed. This was the worst week of her life so far.

Day 5

The sound of the strong hits on the door invaded the scientist’s dream.

“Who is it?” asked Galt, half-asleep. The exhaustion after the long day in the lab and the tension of the meeting with the superior made him fall asleep immediately. Galt’s mind ordered the body to leave the warm blankets and headed to the door.

“Guards! Open the door!”

He was sent to his room by the guards and woken up by the guards. The astronomer could claim that his life had taken a wrong turn.

“I’m coming,” said Galt, dragging feet over the floor. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and anxiously jumped to find his hat and glasses. “I knew I should have cut it! Why did I not cut it? Where is my hat? Where is it?”

The door hinges screeched under the heavy fist:

“Open the door by order of the superior!” the guard’s roar showed his growing anger.

Galt finally found the hat and pulled it down so low that it almost covered his eyes. The important thing was to hide the treacherous hair. His hat was ruined beyond repair, and even the deep cleaning could not remove the dirt from the yellow fabric, especially the fluffy balls. Galt had to use a spare one six sizes larger until the tailors made a new Lead Scientist hat. Galt had to constantly adjust the enormous hat to keep it from swallowing his head. A dozen hairpins helped, but he had no time to adjust them. Galt walked toward the door, holding the hat in his hands. He tripped a few times and pushed down a pile of books. The top book from a pile glided all the way to the floor and created a landslide. Galt let the items fall and rushed to the door before the guards broke it.

“How may I help you?” asked Galt politely, rubbing his nose. He had to let go of the hat for a moment to open the heavy door, and the hat did not miss this opportunity to fall over his face. The lead scientist lost the world out of sight, but that was enough for the door to almost crush his nose.

“We are here to deliver a message,” said the guard, opening a piece of paper. “By order of Mu, Superior of System Lar is being ordered as follows. Two dots. First, Lead Scientist Galt Whereamai is released from all current positions and duties in Lar’s Administration and Science Departments. The former employee shall be paid all due amounts and compensations for his service with Superior Karil. Second, Galt Whereamai is to leave the premises of Lar Palace without delay. Should any order be violated, Galt Whereamai is to be punished according to the laws of Empire Evalette. Signed by the Highly Respected Great Superior Mu.”

“Excuse me, the great who?” whispered Galt.

“Superior Mu.”

“When did he…”

“This morning, the advisors of Lar made the decision, and the Imperial Administration approved it. Superior Karil was relieved from his duties at once. The only heir to his wealth and position as a Superior of System Lar was appointed Secretary Mu. Long live Superior Mu!”

The rest of the guards vigorously yelled the last words after their leader. Galt jumped, scared by the loud shouts, and instinctively tried to hide behind the door. He hit his nose again.

“Yes, long live,” mumbled the formal Lead Scientist.

The guards stabbed him with fierce eyes. Galt remembered research performed on men in uniform. If you do not share the slogans’ enthusiasm and shout with them as loud as possible, they believe you are making fun of them {Many who have made that mistake wish someone had warned them. In this case, just like many others before, a person is learning best from their mistakes}.

“Get out of the palace by noon, or I’ll kick you out myself!” roared the chief guard and shoved the order in Galt’s hands.

The hard push forced Galt to take a step back. He was holding the door with one hand and the order with the other, so the hat fell over his face again.

“My bags are already packed,” said the scientist, trying to adjust his hat. When he managed to, he saw that the guards had already left.

The loss of employment is terrible news, but for Galt, this unexpected freedom was most welcome. His excellent job since his first day here inspired Mu to charge the scientists with the management of all science departments. The position of Lead Scientist came with various duties and responsibilities, miserable pay, and no time for free time. On top of everything, Mu blamed him for every little thing. Nothing good could come to him under Mu’s government. Now, he could choose what to do with his time, and the countless opportunities gave birth to exciting ideas. He packed his belongings in a hurry and tidied up the room. He returned the books to the library and got his bags. Galt looked at the little room for the last time. Small even for the pauper’s shack standards with a tiny window on the ceiling, this was his peaceful home for three years.

“Seems like all good things come to an end,” sighted Galt.

He went to the administration office, and after finishing the paperwork, he only had to say his goodbyes to the rest of the scientists. They walked their unemployed colleague to the main gates. The kind gesture deeply touched Galt because the bookworms were rarely seen outside.

He stood before the palace’s doors, enjoying the warm sun. The heat was returning to Lar, and the only memories of the storm were the puddles on the streets. The palace, built on a hill, rose above the city and the endless desert separating Planet Lar’s cities. The only other high ground on this side of the horizon was the mountain close to the Sacred Forest. Galt took the road leading to City Lar. This was the most famous and busiest town on the planet, offering countless possibilities for enrichment and impoverishment to all visitors and residents. Galt intended to spend a few days roaming the market until he decided on a new direction leading to unknown adventures. He had yet to decide whether to stay for the Alignment of the Moons and risk his life or leave before the planet’s destruction.

The guests arriving to congratulate the new superior pushed aside the short person with big glasses covering most of his face. They did not care about science and had no idea who Galt was. For them, the unemployed scientist was a tiny creature staring at them from the middle of a mud puddle.

The scientist emerged from the puddle and cleaned most of the dirt from his clothes and shoes. Galt took a deep breath of fresh air. He spent the days and nights in the lab and the palace’s library for years. It was time to act upon an old dream, and a bit of mud could not darken his mood. Galt walked toward the city and the new life with a cheerful smile.

***

Bisera yawned and stretched on her way out of the tree hull. For the first time in days, she woke up in a good mood and without any strange events occurring around her. The sensation of spring was in the air. The only signs of the ice from the previous night were the puddles in the giant leaves and the tree bark’s pores. The sun shone through the transparent leaves, creating a waterfall of bright green rays. Her thinning food supplies were now just a pile of empty wrappings. All clothes were torn beyond recognition and scattered around. It looked as if a wild animal had feasted while she slept. The woman took a sip from one of the puddles and smiled. She could not remember drinking tastier water. She bathed and put on clean clothes. Her roaring stomach meant it was time to meet other intelligent creatures and hope for the best.

She carefully went down the tree to the soldiers’ camp. Only a slight burn on the tree bark from the campfire showed they had been here the previous night. She listened but could not hear the buzz of their vehicles. Bisera continued her descent to the ground.

***

Mist whirled around the giant trees. Its ghostly waves embraced the fighting men and spread again, chased away by their fast moves. Bai was prepared for a swift victory, but the enemy was tough. The killer was losing the fight, so he used the poisonous crystal he had prepared for Axar.

“Any last words?” Bai grinned as he watched his opponent trying to remove the crystal from his back.

The moment when the crystal pierced Axar’s skin, the poison started working. His body stopped following the orders of his mind. The blue-eyed soldier swayed and fell to the ground. Axar tried to get up, but Bai kicked him in the stomach:

“You will die slowly. The poison takes a few seconds to immobilize your body, but it will be a long time until your organs stop working. Knowing how fast the mud swallows everything, you will have the same fate as Ziklat. He sunk into the mud and suffocated. I helped him a little bit by breaking his neck, but he did the rest all by himself. Maybe you wonder why he did not call for help. I broke his radio. Well, he could shout, but as we established, the sound doesn’t spread in this forest. It must be because of the curse they are talking about.”

Bai shouted from the depths of his lungs. The sound disappeared in the darkness between the nearby trees. Happy with the proven point, he continued:

“Perhaps you wonder why I killed so many of us. I will grant you your last wish and let you know. First, because that is the way I will get what I want. Second, how can I explain it so that you can understand? No, there is no way. I did it because it makes me happy to be the best. Happiness is a feeling, but you do not have any of those, right? For you, life is only orders and missions. You shoot and sleep. You have no dreams, plans for the future, or desires. You do not even speak! Well, I want to be somebody. At first, I just wanted to survive the tests and the battles. Then, I met you, and I felt hatred, so I decided to kill you last. When Hatra and Emperor Belfor started praising my work, I felt there would be brighter days for me. Then, the opportunity to work directly for the emperor appeared, so I took the necessary actions to eliminate the competition.”

Throughout the speech, Axar did his best to fight back against the poison. He tried to stand up and continue the fight, but Bai repeatedly hit or kicked him. Bai was having fun with this situation and decided to extend his pleasure even more. He took out his knife and walked toward Axar. Something in the bags beeped and drew soldiers’ attention.

“Hatra is calling. Quiet! Do not ruin my plan,” said Bai and opened the small lid of the flat blinking box. Commander Hatra’s fleshless expression appeared above the communicator. “I was just about to report.”

“It does not matter,” interrupted him Hatra. “Superior Karil has been replaced. We have no request for assistance from the new superior. Abort the mission and return as soon as possible.”

Bai thought that it was the best moment to brag:

“Commander, Axar went crazy and killed the rest. I managed to stop him. I am the only survivor.”

The few seconds of silence meant that the commander was considering the situation.

“Return at once,” said Hatra, and his ghostly face disappeared.

“Did you hear that? Nobody cares. That is how the superiors treat us. Officially I am the winner of our ten thousand players competition. It’s too bad we couldn’t find anything important here. It would only solidify my new post. You know, you should be flattered,” hissed Bai, standing over the paralyzed soldier. “I chose this poison because I intended to watch you suffer for a long time. I guess I’ll just leave you here to die alone while I get promoted.”

Bai put his knife away, raised his dirty boot, and pushed Axar’s face into the mud.

“Tell me, why do you never speak? You just give short answers and orders, and everyone must obey,” Bai relieved the pressure, and Axar’s face came out of the mud. “Say something. Those will be your last words.”

The blue eyes flashed among the dark mud covering Axar’s face:

“I will kill you.”

Axar’s voice was calm and even. He spoke quietly, but it seemed as if the words echoed through the entire forest. Bai’s smile froze, and a spark of fear flashed in his eyes. His opponent rarely spoke, but whatever he said always happened.

“I’ll be waiting to see how you will do that,” nodded Bai. His heavy boot pushed Axar’s face into the mud again. A cruel smile stretched the dry lips. “They say that this forest has ghosts. Soon, you will be one of them.”

Bisera witnessed the last stage of the fight. Now, she was watching a person fighting for a breath.

“Stay out of it!” said the voice of common sense in her head.

“I have enough corpses on my conscience. I don’t want more.”

“It’s their business. You will only get in trouble. Is it worth getting in trouble for him?” insisted the voice.

“Well, he is hot,” Bisera smiled.

“Great! Just what we need. The princess will save the knight from the monster.”

The last comment of Bisera’s common sense faded under the pouring ideas of how she could help. She saw the soldiers’ guns leaning against a tree. The idea to sneak around the killer and get one of them was doomed to fail. Besides, she would probably shoot herself before discovering how to use them. The only other thing around her were fungus spheres, which did not seem like a proper weapon against a trained soldier. Bisera picked several smaller orbs. She threw one at the giant fungus spheres hanging over the fighting men, and they started falling on the ground with a heavy ‘blop’. It seemed that this worked because Sandy stepped away from his prey.

“Look at this! I guess there really are ghosts in the forest,” Bai bent over and lowered his voice. “I’m afraid of ghosts. I allow you to learn this little secret because you will die soon.”

“That’s right! Run!” thought Bisera as Sandy mounted his vehicle and disappeared behind the trees. She waited for a while in case the killer decided to return and then climbed down. She cleaned up the soldier’s face and heard breathing. He was unconscious. Now, the question was how to get him to the tree hollow.

“That is enough. Drag him next to a tree and get lost,” said the voice of reason.

“Shut up! I won’t leave my job half done.”

Bisera tried to lift the man. He was taller and heavier than her, and the mud was already swallowing him. She had no desire to give up and pulled him by the clothes. Bisera concentrated so much on the effort that she got scared when the weight vanished. As she was falling back, she saw the soldier’s body high in the air. He reached the highest point of his flight and fell a few meters away from the starting point.

“I killed again!” screamed Bisera, terrified, and ran through the sticky mud to check if the soldier was alive. She turned him over on his back and cleaned his face. He opened his eyes for a moment. “You are awake? You might get perfectly healthy if I throw you a few more times.”

They were out of the mud, but now Bisera had to decide whether to stay here or go to the tree hollow. She could try to throw him from one branch to another, but she feared that there would not be much left of him to be saved after that.

“This is a horrible idea,” she warned herself, looking at the vehicle leaning against the tree.

Bisera rested the wounded man against the tree and explored the strange transport. It looked like a scooter with a small trunk. The steering wheel had a driving panel covered with buttons in different colors and two monitors in the center of the controls. Bisera pushed a blue button, and the monitors came to life. The left one glowed with lines dividing it horizontally and vertically, while the right showed a schematic of the vehicle and strange symbols. The red button on the right side of the control board drew her attention, so she pushed it. The rocket flew centimeters away from the wounded man’s face and exploded after hitting the tree a hundred meters away. The soldier opened his eyes for a moment.

“Red buttons are bad. Don’t push red buttons,” said Bisera to herself while watching the fading flames in the distance.

Carefully avoiding the dangerous color, Bisera figured out how the vehicle worked. All functions were shown on the right monitor, while the left one helped with the movement orientation. The engine stopped a couple of times, and once, she almost hit a tree, but leaving this aside, her driving lesson was quite pleasant. With the soldier’s backpack on her back and the soldier hanging like dirty clothes over the vehicle, Bisera drove up toward the safety of the tree hollow.

She left the wounded man beside the entrance and lit a fire. After that, it was time to attend to his wounds. She prepared the medical kit from the plane but realized that human medicine could harm his species. Bisera took out everything from the soldiers’ bags and discovered a few plasters and bottles carrying the decent smell of a hospital {It was proven that all hospitals in the Universe smell the same}. Even so, Bisera tested them by spraying different tree parts with the liquids from the bottles. The experiment could be considered successful because there was no smoke or a fast-growing bubbling pit. With a bit of luck, her patient might survive in her care. Bisera removed the man’s thorn shirt. She cleaned up all wounds carefully and tried not to get distracted too much by the sight of his perfect body. He had an impressive collection of scars. Some were deep and horrifying, as if the flesh was pulled in different directions. She carefully sewed up the wound on his back and put bandages on it. Bisera could only hope that his immune system would defeat the poison.

Pleased by her medical and driving successes, Bisera decided to get familiar with the rest of the devices in the soldiers’ bags. One of them turned out to be an encyclopedia. The signs differed from those on the vehicle, so Bisera assumed they were written in different languages. It did not matter if it was one strange language or another when she could not read it. Pressing labels and icons led her to pictures of strange creatures. She concluded that the aliens in the science fiction movies were pretty flowers compared to the real ones.

After the encyclopedia, Bisera decided to learn how to use the weapons. She had a few stressful situations, but there were no severe consequences besides a slight burn on the wounded man’s hair tips. It was pure luck because his hair was just a few millimeters long. The more serious matter was the grenade explosion about ten meters below the hollow that shook the entire tree. Bisera convinced herself that a crater the size of a garage on the tree stems couldn’t be called eco-terrorism. She simply helped with the creation of a new hollow. Everyone knows that in the forest, the leaves fall, and the trees have hollows. That could be omitted from the list of crimes she kept in her mind. On the other hand, the accident with the vehicle was a real problem, and she intended to take full responsibility for it.

Bisera left the rest of the soldier’s property for later examinations and got busy tidying up. She had to leave this place with or without the wounded man.

***

Galt had nowhere to go, so he roamed the market all day. Ever since he came to Lar, he has spent all his time working and has never taken a day off to see the city. Galt realized he liked being outside even though the crowds frightened him. The crowded streets offered encounters with strange and dangerous creatures he had only read about in books. He quickly learned that the scientists’ robes worked as protection and made the pedestrians keep their distance to avoid trouble with the guards. On the other hand, if Galt was caught wearing the scientist’s robes without a working permit, he would get in trouble. He had to change his clothes, and the diversity of people on the market gave him incredible fashion ideas.

It was a pleasant day, except that Galt almost found himself in the stomach of a giant tiltria and fell in the mud. Even the mess with the accidental fire, extinguished after only a dozen street stalls had burned, could not be called a terrifying experience. Galt could not be blamed for the fire because he only tripped over in his giant robes and pushed a street stall with fruits. It was not his fault that one of the fruits fell on the ground, rolled away, and stopped on the street. Then, a street performer, showing his fire tricks, stepped on the fruit’s hard and spiky shell. The performer screamed out of pain, lost his balance, and dropped the flame-thrower. The crowd laughed when flames flew over their heads and vanished high above. The more delicate fabrics on the stalls caught fire, and the flames spread around. Galt was already far away and even made way for the guards rushing to extinguish the fire. The heavy rain that just started pouring put out the rest of the flames, and the market returned to normal.

The falling night brought the Silver Moon’s rains and reminded the unemployed scientist that he had no place to sleep. Galt rented a room in one of the numerous hotels in the city’s suburbs. Looking at the falling rain, the scientist searched for answers. The countless drops shaped ghostly images, crashed them into pieces, and transformed them into different shapes. Galt’s childhood dreams came to life, whispering of adventures. He saw himself overcoming dangers to reach hidden treasures in forgotten parts of the Universe. He dreamed of journeys ever since he could remember. Finally, he gathered the courage to escape from his aunt. His disguise was not perfect, but no one paid attention to the scientists on trade planets. Galt came to Lar to hide for a while before continuing his trip, but instead, he just hid in the laboratory. The memory of his empty promises to himself caused pain that cut through his heart. Galt lost all confidence and thought that perhaps he should go back and beg Mu for his work or at least for some position in the library. The thought that it might be better to return to his aunt sent shivers up and down his spine. Visions from the past rushed into the small room. The unpleasant memories awoke unsuspected determination that rekindled his desire to escape from the horrible relative.

“I shall never be afraid again!” said Galt, waving clenched fists at the rain. “I will not hide behind dusty books with dry knowledge. Instead, I will go out and meet the world with open arms! I will live and have thousands, no, even millions of adventures, and no one will stop me!”

“Shut up, or my fist will stop you!” came a muffled shout from the next room.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to bother you,” said Galt, ashamed of his lack of consideration. The future adventurer did not realize how the passionate promise directed toward the Universe raised his voice and disturbed the peace of the other visitors to the hotel. Hours passed until Galt calmed down. After a few threats from other rooms, he forced himself to sit on the bed. He never took off his clothes because he was worried that someone might steal them through the night, but removed the glasses because they were fake anyway, and continued planning the future until plans and dreams became one.

***

The monotonous murmur of the raindrops made Bisera sleepy. She took the soldier’s gun and leaned on the wall across from him. Bisera closed her eyes and listened to the countless raindrops hitting the leaves. Just a minute to rest her eyes would be more than enough. The gentle sound of water flowing down the tree bark reminded her of a calm mountain spring she liked camping next to back on Earth. A sharp crack drew Bisera out of the nap. She jumped and pointed the gun around the room. It took a few seconds to realize that there was no trouble and that the soldier was where she had left him. She went out to get some fresh air and saw the beautiful green leaves turning dark. She got worried that there might be mold or spreading sickness, so she sniffed the air. She smiled at the pleasing aroma of the rain. A giant leaf fell and knocked down others on its way to the ground. That was the sound that woke her up. Bisera returned inside to check the soldier’s wounds. All bruises were gone, and the deep wound on his back had turned into an almost healed scar. Surprised by his fast healing, she wondered how long it would take before he regained consciousness. She took the ropes Sam found in the plane and tied up the soldier.

“Right! You might not be comfortable, but I don’t want you to leave before you try my cookies,” said she while checking the knots.

Bisera covered the soldier with a blanket and went outside. The rays of the silvery moon broke through the tiny drops, turning them into falling jewels. All the leaves had fallen, and rain poured over the bare branches. The countless drops formed rivers running down the cracks of the tree bark. Bisera saw enormous spheres filled with crystal-clear liquid growing on the branches where the leaves used to grow. She stood under one of them, mesmerized by the transparent liquid and colorful rainbows running all over the surface.

“Like soap bubbles.”

Bisera barely touched the sphere, and it broke. The clear liquid spilled and covered her head to toe. It had no smell, and the hit was not stronger than the falling rain, but the woman fainted.

***

The short caterpillar’s face took the color of an overripe eggplant:

“You are killing me! You are good for nothing! First, you broke the master’s rare dinner sets. Then you let the taliki out of their cages. Do you know how hard it is to catch those tiny cattle? Now you blew up one of the docks!”

Overseer Blla furiously circled Sam. It was strange how something resembling a chewed and spat-out caterpillar about thirty centimeters high could hold so much anger. Sam’s instinct was to crush the overseer with his double-reinforced boots and happily scrape out the remains. Right now, he could not afford such frivolities.

“I am not familiar with the technology,” calmly said Sam. He enjoyed seeing Blla’s face change from bright blue to bright orange and then to the shade of dark eggplant. Yesterday, Sam got Blla so mad that the overseer’s eyes popped out. The problem was fixed in the hospital, and not an hour later, the overseer’s squeaky voice echoed in the corridors again.

“This time, you will get what you deserve! This time, I’ll crush you! I’ll…”

“Blla, what is the problem?”

“This one is causing trouble,” the overseer pointed at Sam.

The veiled creature with the sweet voice turned to Sam. He had seen a few others like her. The different colors showed their duties on the ship. The more decorations and jewels they had, the higher in the hierarchy they stood. They were called Zinty and were the only ones allowed to go near the owner of this ship and the palanquin with the orange veils. This Zinty wore pink clothes decorated with expensive gems and precious metals, so she attended to the master’s bedroom, especially the bedtime entertainment.

The pink scarf turned to Blla:

“Do what you usually do.”

“I cannot,” whined the overseer. “He is a special property.”

The Zinty took her time studying Sam:

“Fine, then send him to the Darkness for a while. I will inform the master,” she said and walked down the hall.

“You hear that, you giekh?” Blla grinned. “You are going in a very dark and dangerous place, and you will be there until I say so.”

“Lead the way,” smiled Sam.

The Darkness was one of the few places on the ship Sam had no desire to visit. He expected something more impressive from the punishment room that terrified every worker on the ship. Instead, the Darkness’ entrance was roughly cut into the wall, hidden behind a curtain so it didn’t spoil the beautiful decor of the corridor. The door was just a big piece of metal, and only the steady latch hinted about the room’s purpose.

“Don’t be surprised if I forget where you are,” laughed the overseer. “And don’t walk far from the door. You might get lost in the tunnels. It’s a real labyrinth. I won’t come looking for you!”

“I’m here anyway, so I better look around,” said Sam when the door closed.

He left his jacket next to the door. He turned left and walked carefully, sliding his left palm on the wall. His right hand was stretched ahead because he did not want to hit a wall. Sam counted his steps and tried to keep them the same length. The walls were smooth and felt the same, but occasionally, he sensed a thin line made of a different material. The lines were about five centimeters wide, started from the floor, and rose higher than he could reach. Sam tapped with his nails on them, and their metallic sound reminded him of wind chimes. He calculated that the lines on the wall were eleven steps apart. Knowing this, it was easier to measure his progress by counting them instead of his steps. The seventh line was missing its cover. Sam’s fingers investigated the hollow. It felt like a half-pipe with smooth walls just a few centimeters in diameter. He slid his hand down, and something stung his fingers when he reached the floor. He moved his hand around and found a thin fiber coming out of the center of the crack. Sam stood up, running the fiber between his fingers. It ended at the level of his eyes. He held the end in one hand and explored the crack higher with his other hand. There was another fiber hanging down. The mystery was solved. Each strange-sounding panel was a lamp, and the electric circuit was cut here. Despite Sam’s limited knowledge of this electric wiring, he decided to fix it. He remembered a device the technicians used to reconnect torn electric wires. He quickly created a plan to learn how to use the tool, steal one, and repair the lamp. Sam left one of his shoes next to the broken lamp and kept exploring. After the twentieth lamp on the wall, his hand fell into nothing. Sam moved his fingers over the smooth wall and followed it beyond the edge of a corner, leading to more unknown tunnels. Sam decided to go back. The slaves on the ship claimed that there were monsters in the Darkness, and some of the locked here were found dead. Sam had no intention of finding out if the stories were true. He returned to the door a moment before the guards opened it.

“Where is your shoe?” asked one of the guards.

“You will never believe me,” said Sam.

“Did the monsters try to eat you?” asked the other guard.

“Well, maybe you will believe me,” smiled Sam.

“Tell us. It’s been a while since we heard a nice story,” said the first guard.

Sam fabricated a worthy fairy tale by adding already-known facts. The guards took him to Blla, where the story was repeated with vivid details.

“If you cause trouble, I’ll send you back to the Darkness,” snapped at him Blla.

“Just not the same place. The monster might wait for me, and this time, he will eat me,” said Sam and made sure his fear was noticeable.

“On the contrary! That is where you will go! The monster will know where to find breakfast,” Blla smiled joyfully.

The guards took Sam to the sleeping quarters. He spent some time asking about the Darkness, but it had no purpose besides a jail for the slaves. Everyone was so scared of the dark and the tales of monsters that no one went far from the door. Curiosity was eating Sam alive, and he knew he would not have peace until he found out where the tunnels led. It was not logical to lock away an entire ship section because of a broken light circuit. The great mystery was that he had not seen lamps like those anywhere on the ship. This was a completely different technology, and Sam wished to learn more about it.

***

Yana: Thank you for reading the first chapters of my novel ‘The Sapphire Tear Crown of the Immortal Dar’. If you wish to read it in another language, then check the Bulgarian version ‘Короната Сапфирена Сълза на Безсмъртните Дар’. All drawings and content are my creations (all rights reserved to Yana Axar). Read, enjoy, and if you wish to purchase the book, follow the links:

Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CRF4VQGW

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQPTBPLQ

Hard Cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DQVH73L5

You can also read the first chapters of ‘The Phoenix Fleet of the Immortal Dar’ and its version in Bulgarian language ‘Флотилия Феникс на Безсмъртните Дар’. If you wish to learn more about me, check the ‘Hello!’ page.

Please, don’t steal my work. I have never known a person who stole from me or hurt me and lived happily ever after. Not a threat; it is a proven fact. Enjoy the stories, and be happy!