I fought with all my might to stay aloft, beating my wings as hard as I could to reach the crash site. Another strike came down somewhere in the distance with every gust of wind that buffeted my feathers.
The Four Winds sent this storm to put out the fires and let the newcomers know they weren’t welcome.
I needed to get out of the sky now before I became a part of the current problem. The last thing I needed was to be injured during this storm in the middle of the jungle, unable to defend myself from scavengers and predators looking for easy prey once the storm passed.
I dove toward the crash site at full speed, folding my wings and taking care not to hit any trees along the way. When I got close enough, I spread my wings and extended my talons to soften my landing.
As soon as my feet touched down, I dug them deep into the dirt beneath me, anchoring myself to the jungle floor.
A silver globe-shaped ship with no visible markings or windows sat upright in a clearing between two massive trees, one of which appeared to have lost all of its branches as a result of the impact. The ground was ripped up by the roots of nearby trees as they became entangled in each other, caused by a sudden crack in the soil as wide as the emergency vessel that had crashed landed.
The ship’s rear hatch hung open, revealing nothing but darkness. As I approached cautiously, I couldn’t see any movement from the inside of the vessel.
I cursed myself for taking off my bandolier to go swimming and not thinking to grab it before I took off for safety. Having my weapons and tools with me would have been extremely useful at this point, but I had assumed they wouldn’t be needed because I was on vacation.
As an Ekoiskra councilor and representative of my species, I should have been prepared for anything, especially when dealing with humans.
This situation was beneath me in every way.
Why hadn’t I returned to my villa and requested assistance? Instead, something about this vessel compelled me to deviate from my usual procedure and investigate the scene before calling for help.
My eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for anything I could use to help protect myself. I didn’t need to fight anyone right now—at least not unless it was in self-defense—but knowing how easily humans panicked, I wanted to make sure that if there was trouble, I’d be able to fend it off without getting hurt.
Aside from the heavy rain and dark clouds, the rest of the world appeared to be peaceful, calm, and quiet.
As I crept closer to the emergency vessel, the canopy overhead formed a solid blanket around the clearing in the forest, blocking my view of the sky and protecting me from the storm.
When a gust of wind passed, I felt a rush of air sweep across my wings. It was enough to knock me back a few steps, causing my claws to dig deeper into the dirt. My heart raced as another strong breeze whipped through the trees, snapping branches all around me.
I flinched every time something snapped nearby, fearful of being ambushed while searching the ship. There was no reason why I shouldn’t get inside the craft; no one had asked for assistance or for me to leave the crash site.
However, the thought of stepping inside the ship defenseless made my chest tighten with fear and unease. Something bad must have happened to the occupants for them to land in this manner. The fact that I hadn’t seen or heard any signs of life made me even more concerned.
Not wanting to be left outside, defenseless, in the middle of a storm with something lurking nearby, now wasn’t the time to pause—when there were so many local dangerous creatures eager to devour a meal my size. I wouldn’t stand a chance if anything got close to me—or if someone else found me.
Not with how drenched I was and how the wind kept catching my wings and tossing me around.
I slid inside, holding on to the doorway’s edges and taking care not to hit my head against the low ceiling. With only dim lighting along the walls, it took several seconds for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light.
When my eyes finally got used to the darkness, I was completely taken aback by what I saw.
Two unconscious female humans, dressed in attire that barely covered their bodies, dangled from the ceiling by their safety harnesses.
I shook my head and pushed back my sudden confusion about why they were in such attire and barefoot—something that contradicted the IPA research on humans preferring to have their bodies covered, including their feet. Now wasn’t the time to try to piece together who they were aboard that ‘space cruiser’—the type of vacation party vessel described by the humans who had been recovered—I needed to find a way to secure the entrance, to keep myself from being attacked from behind, before I attempted to free them from their confines.
The rain created a waterfall-like curtain, pouring over the door frame and onto the muddy ground.
I searched the main computer of the ship and discovered that the human craft lacked anything resembling my own internal emergency systems. Unsurprisingly, given how new humans were to space travel, their backup power source failed to power the cockpit, making it impossible to close the door until the storm passed and I could fly to my villa for assistance.
While maintaining my gaze on the entrance, I moved closer to the women in an effort to get a better look at them. My claws clacked against the metallic floor, echoing the sounds of rain hitting the vessel.
As I stood between the two unconscious humans, I observed one of the sleeping females and how her long red hair cascaded over her face, blocking my view of her eyes. Glancing at the other woman, I noticed how her arms hung limp above her head and her hair was pulled back in intricate braids, revealing her delicate face and soft lips slightly opened.
Their slow and steady breathing reassured me that they were both alive, although still sleeping—hopefully only knocked out by their vessel’s system in an attempt to conserve resources for their journey. The more they had, the longer it could potentially travel while keeping its occupants alive.
As I was trying to decide which of the women I should attempt to wake first, another strong gust of wind swept through the ship. A loud bang echoed from the top of the emergency pod, and as a pair of vines gripped the doorway, I smelled something familiar—the exotic aroma of a long-time friend.
“Lyave?” My wings shot open, both surprised and relieved by his unexpected appearance. “It’s about time you came here to help; I thought you knew everything that happened in your territory.”
