I blinked hard, tilting my head to the leaves above, trying to ground myself from my hometree’s forwardness. Never before had they shown enough interest in another to offer them services—yet no one had ever been injured on our land.
It was as if my hometree knew why I had brought the intruder back with me. My origin had always told me that my future hometree and the land it owned would grow so close to me that they would become an extension of me over time. Nobody told me it would happen before I was blessed by a mate.
Pulling my hand away from the bark, I rubbed my fingers in thought as I tried to accept everything that had happened today... It all came back to the rainbow-haired warrior in my vines. Looking down at the being in question, I noticed how peaceful they were and how they were unconsciously snuggling against my chest.
The sounds of the hometree untangling its vines filled the area, allowing me to enter its core and return to the home that I'd built all these years. As soon as I crossed the threshold, the thick vines reverted to their previous state, twisting into a tight corded shield, protecting the inside from intruders.
My hometree’s core came to life, and the bioluminescence on the floor lit up beneath my feet and pulsed toward the walls like ripples on a water’s surface. The heartwood pulsated with a warm welcome, its life force buzzing with excitement at the prospect of meeting and healing the stranger wrapped up in my vines.
I dashed over to the Giving Pool and cautiously lowered my rainbow-haired warrior onto its ledge, carefully untangling my vines from their embrace so as not to inadvertently aggravate their wounds.
My hearts pounded just thinking about how defenseless they were against the pafeldae. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t been in my territory when they arrived.
After scanning their body, I realized the best thing I could do was remove their shredded, bloody clothes right away. It wouldn’t be helpful if I didn’t undress them before placing them in the Giving Pool. The last thing I wanted to be responsible for was any infections caused by leaving them in their filthy rags.
With my lips pursed, I contemplated the best course of action to take. In the galaxy as a whole, it was well-known that many species preferred to dress in some way, whether it was for protection or to show off their social status.
Another reason that many species decided to cover their bodies to some extent was modesty. It would have been a ridiculous sight if a Calyzis wore something that covered their entire body.
Our bodies provided adequate protection and covered anything that other species would have considered impolite. Regardless, we needed sunlight and access to our surroundings in order to communicate with the local plant life. That was how we survived as individuals and managed our hometree and its land.
Using my vines, I carefully lifted the unconscious stranger’s torso off the wooden slab. If it hadn’t been for their slow and steady breathing, I would have assumed they had followed the pafeldae back to the cycle of life.
I traced the dark garment carefully, finding the seam near their waist, and frowned at what I discovered. Instead of armor, my fingers had found bare skin. It was no surprise the pafeldae could cause so much damage. This intruder was extremely fortunate to survive the fight.
I finished undressing the rainbow-haired warrior and laid their body back down on the wooden slab as respectfully as I could. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of their black uniform left for them to use when they awoke. I’d have to find something to cover them with, maybe even make them a robe, until I could provide them with an adequate outfit.
Stepping back, my hand fell, my mouth wide open as my hearts throbbed, filling my ears with their rapid beats. The same feeling from before sprouted, growing wildly as its roots coiled and twisted, securing itself within my chest.
The intruder was a female... As well as myluwaeri.
CHAPTERSEVEN
VIOLA - VIOLENTVIOLET
“Welcome, child from another planet,”a soothing female voice said, sounding like a great aunt or a young grandmother.“You’re now in good hands.”
“Where am I? Or where is here?”
Gazing around my surroundings, I tried to determine where I was. Instead of the white nothingness of the between, detailed with iridescent patterns and pulsing lights... It was the polar opposite.
Only a tangled web of hundreds of thousands or even millions of tiny lights shone in the darkness, each one a different shape and size.
This was unlike anything I’d ever encountered.
An intense burning erupted within me, coursing through my veins and permeating every fiber of my being.
Or what I thought I was.
Stretching my consciousness, I couldn’t tell where I began or ended, only that I existed, here in this alternate plane.
Was this death?
I wandered aimlessly past the glowing objects, noticing that they were shaped like plants—a neon forest encircling a large, pulsating tree.
As I walked through the glowing plants, my very existence seemed intangible, trapped between space and time.
Why was I here?
