Humans are the Alien Creatures

[Ravenloft]

"Bad? Leak?" Blue's heart bottomed out, not quite sure what Gaia meant.

He looked around. "What's here? More lizards?" He nearly panicked, picking Gaia up in his arms and rushing for the cave even before she instructed him to.

"Oh, them." He came to realize that she meant the keepers as Boy barked at the air and she weakly pointed for the door.

"Yes, inside!" He exclaimed, playing along, although he knew the keepers were not quite so bad any more.

"Boy! Come!" He shouted, letting the yarjahken in first before slipping inside and putting Gaia on their sleeping furs. He took her leg in his hands and set it up on his lap. "Tell me, what do to Gaia! How can I help?" He was desperate to keep her from dying, worried that she was poisoned.

 

[landiek]

Gaia felt better in Blue Eyes arms and she felt safer now that they were inside. However Gaia had to be even stronger for them both.

"Geen leef. Ra ed rut. Ni vaf ..wa er" Gaia points to her baskets and the knife. "Baloo cautz dem"

Gaia thought of Wynn her father. cut bite. Rub red root on bleeding.. wash off with water.. chew green leaf.. put on bite... bind with yellow leaf..stay warm..

Gaia became worried because she didn't have any yellow leaves.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Green leaf... Red root..." Blue found them quickly, from amongst Gaias baskets but the third thing she said, he didn't understand until she pointed at the knife he'd made for her. "Knife! And water." He repeated, taking it and going to work, cutting up the things she had instructed him to. "Like this?" He asked, making sure he was doing it right.

"Hold on, Gaia, hold on!" He whispered urgently as he finished cutting the herbs up."Okay, now?" He asked, looking at her, trying not to panic. He was half tempted to run out and seek the keepers help to keep her from dying. Their magic could surely save her! And they wouldn't just let her die! They needed her, didn't they?

 

[landiek]

Gaia took the knife and rinsed it. "Baloo cautz "

Gaia begin tearing up for asking Blue Eyes to cut the wounds. She knew it would be difficult and more as she began to feel drowsy.

"Cautz byte... rube ra ed rut een byte...wa ahs Ca leen... ated geen leef..sum....on byte..coo over wif ya loo leef.. sta weerm." Gaia begin speaking then got quieter with her directions before closing her eyes.

Boy began whining and licking Gaia's hand. Even he was acting odd by letting off a loud baleful howl.

Noel heard the howl and came visible. He rapped the door and hoped he was in time.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Cut..." Blue paused at that, not wanting to hurt Gaia any further, but he knew she knew what she was doing, so he trusted her and did as she asked, as carefully and quickly as he could. "Okay... There... Now?" He stammered, seeing that she was growing drowsy. "Stay with me, Gaia! Don't! Don't fall asleep!" He urged, and she instructed him further, her voice growing weaker by the second.

"Rub red root into the wound... Okay... Wash it clean... Chew green leaf and apply to bite... Got it!"

"Yellow leaf? Gaia, there's no yellow leaf! Gaia! Gaia!" He shook her gently, but she was unconcious. He pressed his ear to her breast, she still had a heart beat! But it was so slow...

"No, Boy, no... No!" Blue tried to keep Boy from bothering Gaia and nearly lost it when the Yarjahken began to howl mornfully. "She is not lost! I won't let her be lost!" Blue Eyes shouted, rising to his feet and striking his chest. She may not like it, but he knew that his only hope was in the magic of the keepers. He rushed to the door just as Noel knocked and made it open. He grabbed Noel and dragged him inside, fear and panic giving him the strength to overpower the rather strong alien.

"Help! She was poisoned by lizard beast! Help her! Need... Need yellow leaf! Don't let her die!!!" Blue Eyes begged, dropping to one knee and lowering his head in supplication to the alien keeper.

 

[landiek]

"There are no yellow leaves here. Human. " Noel admitted "They only grow where her kind live."

Gaia moaned softly and Noel examined here again, especially her offspring. Noel felt terrible for Gaia's injury. "Rajel bring stasis chamber. The female has been injured and you must oversee her while the male and I seek medicines."

Boy tried to nuzzle the fallen hand whimpering since she made no effort to pet him.

Soon two workers, Rajel, and the Head Keeper were at. Human cave. It was far easier to speak mentally however Noel made the final statement that made his request. Permitted.
"The female will die as will her offspring.. the male will mourn and not take another mate."

The Head Keeper made arrangements. Noel had his craft and the female went into stasis.Rajel would remain at the cave and monitor the machines.

One came the hard part. Taking the male with him to trade with Gaia's people.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Then use your magic! Don't let her die, please?" Blue pleaded again as Gaia moaned.

"Stasis? Will she be safe? What about our young? Will they be okay?" Blue wanted answers, but they weren't coming fast enough in his panicked state.

"The male... Would kill... Or be killed... If Gaia dies." Blue corrected, through bared teeth, and tear stung eyes, not liking the final statement Noel had made.

He understood that Noel was trying to help, but he could not hide his fear and anger over losing Gaia and his unborn young to a lizards bite.

"How long will your stasis magic keep Gaia alive?" Blue asked, pointedly once he had joined Noel in his high tech craft, that floated above the ground.

"I will cooperate as long as she lives." he stated, coldly.

 

[landiek]

Noel explains. "The stasis will stop the poison from spreading. It will not heal her. She can survive four suns to get the yellow leaf back."

Rajel suggests. "You will need to take something to trade. I suggest one of those filled baskets of kensha root. Hopefully you can get more then one of those yellow leaves."

One worker adds. "The Shadtall are not anxious to welcome strangers. They may make him prove himself worthy to enter their village. There is no guarantee of success."

Noel looked at Gaia then Blue Eyes. "We will take her beast with us. They will recognize him and help the female."

Noel tapped Blue's shoulder. "Gather what is needed. We leave soon."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Four suns? Four days you mean? How long will it take to get to her people? What should I expect? Prove myself? In combat? That, I can do. I would win their respect. When they see her Yarjahken, they will want to know where she is, you know." Blue said his piece then went about gathering the items they would need.

He went up to the one they called Rigel and looked him in the eyes. "Keep her safe." He said, standing tall.


Then he returned to Noel. "Ready."

 

[landiek]

Noel knew the human was right. Taking the beast would bring in up questions but also a reason to trust Blue Eyes. "We want them to help the female. Her animal is a bridge ."

The Head Keeper gave Noel a look. They were taking many chances on the male succeeding.

Noel picked up the skin Gaia had worked on before being attacked
~~~~~~~~~~~
The winds picked up and the boys chased the animals inside. Wynn called his children in as the darkness grew. Something was wrong. Wynn called felt his skin prickle and the same nervousness claimed his heart.

The shaman came to the hut sensing the uneasiness. "What do you think it is?"

 

[Ravenloft]

"Sky riders, I fear their return. Something in the air, reminds me of the day... I lost my Gaia." Wynn sighed, rubbing the back of his wrist across his brow, world weary and worn from the long years he'd lived.

 

[landiek]

Noel used the hyperspeed to get to the other side of the world. It would have taken weeks otherwise without teleportation methods.

Noel tilted the craft and pointed to the wooden huts. "There is where the female's kind lives. Reports are old but the elder is called Sha Mon Farstar.. He is a healer. I must tell you that some of my kind have treated these humans poorly. It was common to burn out overpopulation. I fought to change that practice. My kind decided to bring in the lizards from a barren world to keep the population down. These humans have survived years battling them. They will respect you."

Noel landed west of the village hiding the ship in a thicket. It was starting to become evening. "Go quickly.. the lizards hunt at night. I wish you well, Human."

Noel gave him the fur and claw necklace Gaia had made. Noel hoped they would be symbols of bravery.

 

[Ravenloft]

"H-how fast a-are we going?" Blue asked, feeling his body being pressed against his seat from the force of their speed. "I think I'm going to be sick..." He groaned as Noel explained to him the situation.

"Gaia's family, got it. Shaman Farstar... What about her father, Wynn?" He asked, having thought Wynn would be the one he had to deal with.

"That's a bit more than 'poorly', that's horrendous! How could your people do that to living, intelligent beings?" Blue whispered, in disgust. "You could have sent them to other worlds, not so populated, you didn't need to kill them..."

"I'm sorry, not you, I can see that you are trying, trying to help. Thank you Noel." Blue took a calming breath as he apologized to Noel.

"Is there nothing you can do about the lizards though? If you brought them, couldn't you return them to where you got them from? That would go a long way toward restoring some sort of trust with the humans..." Blue tried to suggest a step to help relations between the aliens and humanity.

Blue didn't like that it was getting dark and nodded at Noel's advice and started off for the tribe's abode, calling Boy to his side, weary of those killer lizards.

He came to the entrance of the tribes camp and called out a traditional greeting to the people inside, making his presence known, wearing the trinkets Gaia had made.

 

[landiek]

The watcher saw the stranger approach but can what made him open the gate was the creature with him. A slow horn cry sounds and people rush to the gate. A girl cries out.. "yarjahken.. deva... Ca all Wen... yarjahken!"

Deva ran to his grandfather's hogan. "Papa .. daja yarjahken.. keema.. keema."

Farstar beckoned the man inside. But to his surprise the beast came straight for him open and slaveres the man's face. Laughter fills the air but short lived. The horn alerts the lizards that someone is rushing.to the gate.

"Clas clas qeeck." Another male orders standing next to his chief.

The gate closes just in time and several young men come forward to check out this stranger who is paler then moon.

The girl from upper walls came down and called Boy. She examines the legs and uttered the name. "Guy ya.... daja.... daja Guy ya."

 

[Ravenloft]

The scramble of so many people surprised Blue Eyes as he was greeted by an old man who waved him within the camp. Boy bolted from his side and greeted the old man with kisses. Blue smiled and followed after him.

He spun around, ready to help fend off the lizards, if needed. He quickly helped, putting his shoulder to the gate, with the rest.

"Woah, easy, hey, nice to see you too..." Blue Eyes asked as he was suddenly surrounded by several tan young men.

Blue turned toward the young woman who was calling out Gaia's name and looked her over, wondering which of her family members she might have been. Probably one of her sisters, he thought.

He went to one knee as he approached the elder, Shaman Farstar. "Shaman Farstar?" He asked, bowing his head, his hands on his knee.

 

[landiek]

The elder looked at the man in front of him. A smile washes over his face. "I am shaman Foster. But you are not of these people.. yet you are with one of the animal protectors I raised for these people. Who do you truly seek among the human beings?"

Another older man comes forward. With the same golden hair like Gaia has. He makes clicking sounds and the others move back. They make noises among themselves as the stranger bends to their Shaman.

The girl comes over and touches him. Her green eyes stare into his blue ones as she reads him. Her magic greatly valued among the tribe and destined her to be the next shaman.. "Dis hyd.. na ta all wun..."

 

[Ravenloft]

"My apologies, I learned of you from another tribe, who's dialect was hard for me to understand, Shaman Foster." Blue corrected himself at the elders words. "No, my tribe is far away, I have traveled very far indeed. I seek Wynn, father of Gaia. She..." Blue paused as a man with gold spun hair like Gaia's own approached and the shaman and he stepped off to the side to speak in private.

Then the girl he saw before came over and held his face in her hands and stared him in the eyes. She seemed much older than her young face would lead him to believe. "No, I am from a far away tribe." He admitted, reaching up to touch her hand, trying to remember what name Gaia had given her sisters. "Kran? Darja? River?" He asked aloud.

 

[landiek]

The child giggles from his touch. "Dis wun of Kran n Darja."

Wynn was between questions and anger. How did he come without Gaia and why?
"Do we treat him like others or reveal ourselves? He comes with knowledge of us but how much?"

Foster nodded."the village expects you to challenge him like others. How long do you think it will take?"

Wynn grimaces. "That we are more then the tribe. That we are more intelligent because of the alliance with the guardian."

River interrupted their talk by pushing his niece away and growling at this stranger menacingly.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Oh! Than you must be..." He tried to remember the young ones names. "Piza? Ska? No... Aijah! You look like an Aijah. Am I right?" Blue asked, with a friendly smile, trying to guess which one she was as Wynn and Shaman Foster discussed his fate.

Blue put his palms up, in a sign of submission to the one who came and pushed the little girl away. "Woah... Woah, easy now. Friend... See? Friend." Blue scooted back, giving them space.

"I..." He debated just how much he should tell them about the situation, but the thought of losing Gaia loosened his tongue. "I know Gaia! I protect her! Gaia is my mate!" He called out for them all to hear. "In trouble! Bitten by lizard! Need yellow leaf!" He had no time to play the usual games tribes did with each other, he needed a way past it all and get their help quickly.

"Wynn! You're daughter! My mate! With young! Dying, need yellow leaf! Please help!" Blue shouted again in the stunned silence of the tribe at his words.

 

[landiek]

The girl touches his nose. "Me piza."

She didn't get much chance to learn more when her uncle pushed her back.

It was his outburst. River screams louder "NA YAOO LIZE
.GAIA ATED BI SKA RA DERS."

A loud female voice interrupts. "ENUF"

The woman was old and bent but had to be six ten standing straight. Foster bumped Wynn. As the woman comes to the group with the help of a younger Gaia. Others bow and move out of the blind woman's path.

"Heem .sa Gaia nam.. heem seizea rr Gaia.?" Her hand swings out and Wynn takes it and brings her to the stranger.

"Thisa one speaks our Gaia name." Wynn replies.

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue Eyes didn't even have the chance to laugh over Piza's cute correction before she was pushed back and things got tense.

He was wary of the one who shouted him down, but a tall, strong woman stopped him before he could come at Blue. She might have had wrinkles around her eyes, but she commanded respect, even from the men. She appeared to be blind as she was lead by the spitting image of a younger Gaia.

"Yes. Found Gaia, protect Gaia from cat beasts. Took Gaia as mate. Will bear young ones soon... Only if Tall ones help. Need yellow leaf to heal Lizard beast's bite."

"Here, Gaia make this, for her father." He said, taking the animal hide from his shoulder, offering it to the one with golden hair, suspecting he was Wynn.

 

[landiek]

The woman reached out to touch this man. Her heart filling will such hope for her eldest daughter. "Des scribe yaoo slf."

The girl with her used manners. She was making her mother calmer by rubbing the elder's back. "Memaw wat yaoo ta ell er bot yaoo. Pa leez."

Deva ran to his Father and was hoisted up. Deva wanted to hear the story too.. now the group grew in size. A dozen adults and at least twenty children came from their homes.

Wynn stepped forward and took the skin. He had his pride but moreso his honor. He would hear the words before telling him the leaves had not been gathered since the lizards attacked last week.

Even Shaman Foster was anxious to hear this story of Gaia and her mate.

 

[Ravenloft]

Blue Eyes bowed to the blind woman, her helper and Wynn as he took the fur from him and stood, a little nervous with so many eyes on him, to tell his story.

"My name is Blue Eyes, for my eyes are like the sky, rare amongst my people. I come from far away, deep in the southern Jungles, more than a thousand miles from here. The Sky Riders came and stole me away long ago, when I was yet barely a man. They kept me caged, they tested me, I survived their tests. Eventually, they let me out of their cage and I found a land made for me. There, I met Gaia, in danger, threatened by a great cat. A lion!" Blue started to get into his story and pretended to snarl like a mighty lion, playfully, for the young ones.

He showed them in pantomime how he had caught the attention of the snarling beast and drew it away from their Gaia then fired a couple phantom arrows at his imaginary foe for the crowd. He then showed them how he had carefully approached Gaia, by going up to little Piza, edging back when he saw that River did not like him getting so close to her. "I am Blue Eyes. You are safe. I will not hurt you." He repeated, just as he had told Gaia the first time he saw her.

He rose back up and turned to Wynn. "She called out for Wynn, but I held her, made her feel safe. I have taken care of her and learned only a little about you, all of you, from her in the short time I have been with her. We are mates, and she carries my young in her belly now..." He lowered his head to Wynn, seeking his approval.

"Last night, great lizards attacked, I could not stop them from biting Gaia, but Boy and I killed it together. Gaia told me what to do to heal her, only no yellow leaves. Blue Eyes come to Tall Ones for help." He pointed at the Yarjahken when he said Boy, not wanting to have to explain how he had gotten here. Hoping only that he was here seeking their help would be enough.

 

[landiek]

The people loved his story on killing the cat.

Deva asks"war e Kat ska een?"

River made a noise at the child in his arms. But others asked questions. Breeda quietly described Blue Eyes features

Water came forward and touched Blue Eyes' arm muscles. "Daja... daja.. "

Others came close and touched his arms and legs. Even River allowed his son to touch his uncle.

Finally everyone was satisfied and returns to their hogans. Wynn comes closer and pats Blue Eyes. "You did well. My woman miss Gaia much. The leaves are near. We go and bring back. The red root is hardest to find. Gaia always find. Why only carry, she not give sons? Gaia gone four harvests. River try to save Gaia but Gaia stopped them from taking his mate when with child. Heart sings with joy her live."

 

[Ravenloft]

"The cat skin is our... Sleeping furs." Blue hesitated, not sure he should tell the little ones.

Blue let little Water touch him but looked up at River with a confused smile. "Daja?" He asked with a soft chuckle.

The attention both warmed Blues heart and made him just a bit nervous, but he laughed and enjoyed the welcoming wonder of Gaia's family.

It was when Wynn, who came up to him last and patted his shoulder that he knew he was safe amongst the Tall Ones. "Thank you. I would have brought more of Gaia's love if I had had time. Yes? Near? Yes! I am ready to go and find the leaves." Blue was very eager to go and find the yellow leaves. The sooner, the better.

"Oh yes, Gaia very good at gathering, she makes food taste very, very good." Blue smiled and patted his belly. "Oh, only carry because we have only been mates for thirty suns. Not long." Blue felt bad that he hadn't known Gaia was missing for so long. He should have guessed the keepers had kept her for as long or longer as they had kept him before placing them together.

"Four harvest? Long time, Gaia very beautiful, smart woman, be proud, you taught her well, Wynn. I will tell her of your joy when she is well again, I promise." Blue stopped and put his fist to his chest, a symbol of his word.

"Wynn, what do you know of the Sky Riders? The ones who stole her? And I?" He asked, hoping to learn something more about them from an outside source. He trusted Noel well enough, but he had the feeling that he wasn't allowed to tell him everything.