they’re getting close to me. They’ve been out of sight now for a few minutes, although I can still hear them clamoring across the rocks, scraping sounds filling the air.
When they come into view again, I’m astonished by how close they are… and by what they look like. If there was any question in my mind before about whether or not I was on Earth, it was just eliminated. No… obliterated!
Even though they’re clearly humanoid with two arms and two legs, their faces are more animalistic than anything I’ve ever seen outside of television. There was an old show when I was younger that was a Beauty and the Beast remake, and the guy was made to look like a lion. That’s what these two look like… although it’s easy enough to differentiate between them.
One is obviously the leader. Bigger, older, and clearly more experienced at climbing up cliffs because he’s way ahead of the younger, smaller… man. Do I consider them men? I mean really… I’m the alien here, right?
They’re not wearing a whole lot. Only a just above the knee skirt that looks like a Scottish kilt, and a shirt that looks more like a vest. It leaves their most incredible trait on full display. They’re purple. The bigger one in the lead has darker skin, but the younger one behind him looks almost lilac. It’s so strange that I stand there with my mouth hanging open… ogling them.
I take in their long black hair, purple skin, and the fact that they appear to be using claws in their hands and feet to climb up the edge of the cliff! My head spins as I snap my mouth shut with an audible sound that brings me to my senses. I’m pretty sure I was holding my breath, and I take a few large gulps of air as I stare at them in shock.
Fuck this shit! Turning around, I clutch onto the straps of my backpack and take off at a sprint back into the forest.
CHAPTER FIVE
- Kaneer
I CAN’T BELIEVE she’s running!
I don’t know where this female has come from, but everyone knows not to run from a male. Especially an Alpha male like me. We aren’t hard to spot because our coloring is so much darker than the average Beta, and our size makes us impossible to miss.
But when we’re almost within communication distance, the strange female turns on her heel and takes off at a sprint. She’s wearing more clothing than any above dweller does. It’s also a strange reflective color. I suppose she could be from the underground, but considering her proximity to where we saw the flying craft, I’m much more inclined to believe but she disembarked from it.
Of course, I still don’t think that she can be anything other-worldly. Certainly not from off-planet. Our Holy Scripture is clear and has been verified by our scientists. No other intelligent life forms can access our planet. Alta is safe from any invaders.
Just as I’m about to call out to the female where she’s watching our ascent at the top of the ledge, she turns around and takes off away from us. What can she be thinking? Why would she do that?
She’d already been waiting there for us, so why run now? Is she trying to incite my Alpha instincts to chase? If so... why?
It’s hard to say, but based on her coloring, she could be sick. She looks like one of the underground dwellers that have never been above ground at all. Pale from their lack of exposure to the suns that deepen our pigment, and small because of their interbreeding. Just as the above dwellers are bred to fight and survive, many of the elite low dwellers have different capabilities and attributes they attempt to improve and nurture during procreation.
Glancing back at Pascel, I call to him, the words more of a roar than anything else, “Try to stay close!”
She must be punished for this. It doesn’t matter where you’re raised, nothing inflames us like the call of the chase. As I practically leap the last distance up to the top of the cliff, I take a deep inhale of her female scent. Not only is it incredible—it’s strong.
Very strong. In fact, it concerns me a bit, considering I harden instantly. That’s unusual.
As I watch her disappear into the bushes underneath the trees, I laugh. This fearful female clearly wants to be punished because any female knows I’ll be able to find her by scent