Desert Lily

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Lily

I wasn't sure where we were going or what we were going to do but I was all for it. I had started back growing feeling in my legs but I still had a little trouble walking which just led to Kai still carrying me everywhere.

I was dressed from head to toe in my desert wear that Kai had made me even though the tailor specifically made me my own pair. I liked the ones Kai made better since they smell like him. I thought to myself with a smile as Kai loaded the last few things on Neau before turning to me. "We're all ready to go?" I asked as he quietly bounded towards me before picking me up.

"Yep, you ready to see that night life?" He asked while nuzzling my face as I nodded. "You sure you want to wear the desert wear I made you? It'll be much more comfortable to wear the ones the tailor made for you." He asked with worry, lacing his voice as I quickly pulled down my mask to kiss his forehead.

"Of course I'm sure. The ones she made don't smell like you." I pouted as he looked confused for a second before his face turned a dark red. Without another word, he quietly set me on Neau's back before getting on behind me. He grabbed the reins as Neau began to flap her wings, pushing us off the ground before her talons wrapped around something. "What's that?" I asked while trying to peak beneath her giant wings as Kai firmly wrapped his arm around my waist to keep me in place.

"It's all of the things we're trading with the other three tribes." He explained as Neau took off towards the top of the dark cavern. The farther she got, the darker it got as the lights from the tribes below didn't reach this high up. As I was about to voice my concern about hitting the top of the cave, it opened in time as we shot through. I had thought that Neau was going to surf through the sand like before but she continued to fly higher above the fog as the weird noises of the creatures cried out below us. Once we were completely above the fog, you could see the clear night sky with the moon shining at its brightest. The stars looked like they were painted into the sky by a masterful artist.

"It's beautiful, Kai." I gasped in amazement as he stared down at me with this look in his eyes. It was a familiar look that I've seen before and he's been wearing it a lot lately, but I wasn't quite sure what it was.

[~~~]

It took us a little while before the mountains came into view. It took me by surprise with how beautiful and normal they were. With us being on an alien planet, I thought it would look different but it just looked like the ones back at home except most of the mountain was barren of snow while the top was full of it. It's like there was some type of margin line stopping the snow from falling past a certain point.

Though I wanted to think about that some more, my attention was pulled to the small cave I had missed until we got closer. The closer we got, the more I realized that it was an entrance big enough to fit us and the thing Neau has in her talons. As Neau began to land in the opening, my eyes caught sight of some movement from the shadows before Kai gently patted my stomach, catching my attention. Quickly looking up at him, I was surprised when he kissed me on my forehead.

"It's okay, it's just the Alorean guards of the tribe checking to make sure it's us and not somebody else." He explained before pulling back his hood. When did Kai pull down his mask? I thought to myself as my cheeks heated up with the realization of Kai's kiss. It made me feel giddy to kiss him again. As I was lost in thought, I hadn't realized how quick Kai and Neau were. It only dawned on me when Kai was gently pulling me off of Neau's back before setting me down on the rocky terrain. It felt like we were in a cave as the Alorean guards stepped out of the darkness to help Kai move some of the things he brought including the giant basket that could fit ten people in it. As the Aloreans got closer, I was able to get a good look at them. They were Kai's height with different types of horn on their heads and wings dragging behind them. They looked like walking lizards but with wings and human-like faces.

"Welcome back, Kaisen." One of the guards greeted me in a clear voice as they both eyed me suspiciously. "You also have a human as well?" The same guard asked as Kai frowned while I perked up at that thought.

"There's another human here? Is she kind of short but very…outgoing?" I asked as the guards looked at each other before howling in laughter.

"Outgoing sounds like a nice way to put it." The other guard spoke up as excitement bubbled within me. They were either talking about Nuri or Yareli. I thought while the guards turned and started guiding the way as Kai hovered close to me. He had one hand near my back and the other holding the reins to guide Neau. The further we went into the cave, the more lights lined the walls. It made it more clearer to see the light reflecting off of the scales on the guards that were guiding us. It didn't take long before we were exiting the cave into a much bigger one with huts and in wall caves that looked like houses.

"Welcome to the Alorean tribe, Lily." Kai whispered while leaning close as I couldn't help but to admire my surroundings. The Alorean tribe had made a home out of the inside of the mountain without damaging it too much. Cave-like homes lined the walls with wooden doors and curtained windows pointing out towards the brightly lit center where what looked like a town square sat. In that town square were what looked like stalls that lined a path out in different directions as more lizard-like people happily explored. There were a few small trees scattered about the cave, much to my surprise. Plants were growing where light couldn't reach them! I shouldn't have been surprised since I worked on a farm my entire life but with how this planet was, I was beyond shocked. Looking around some more, I spotted another opening somewhere off to the side that seemed to lead outside but it was higher up. Straining to see more, I spotted the tip of a few more huts before something came tackling me to the ground.

"Oh fuck." I groaned while blinking only to be met by Kai's surprised face before Nuri's face popped up.

"It really is you! Holy shit!" She squealed while climbing off of me before helping me up as I stared down at the human torpedo. She seemed healthier and happier than when I last saw her. Her long black hair had been braided into one long braid with red ribbons lacing through each. She had red and yellow patterns painted onto her brownish red skin as her hazel eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Nuri?" I questioned, in complete shock before hugging her and laughing as she started sobbing while hugging me back.

"I thought you were dead. I thought that hunter got you. Why did you insist on us leaving you?" She sobbed as I patted her back while leaning my head on her. It felt like I was consoling my little sister all over again. Well, Nuri might as well be my little sister since she stuck with me since I first got to prison. Her and Cordelia. Cordelia…? How could I have forgotten about Cordelia?

"Technically, the hunter did get me." I laughed while looking over at Kai who looked between us in worry and curiosity. "This is Kaisen. He was the hunter following us and he nursed me back to health. He's also my mate." I smiled as Nuri wiped her tears while looking between us. "Kai, this is Nuri. She's been with me for a while. She might as well be my sister in a sense." I introduced as Nuri quickly looked back at me with a surprised look on her face.

"You consider me your sister? I've never had anybody like that in my life." Nuri smiled as I nodded while the Alorean guards greeted another being walking up to us. Like the other Aloreans, he had black wings dragging behind him with matching black scales all over his face and the parts of his body that weren't covered by his dark leather clothing. Unlike the guards, he had gold tribal paintings along his arms, legs, his collarbone down through his shirt, and on parts of his face.

"Kaisen! It's great to see you again!" He greeted while looking at Kai before his eyes went from me to Nuri who held his gaze before turning back to me. "You also have a human mate too?" He asked Kai, his eyes never straying from Nuri as she quickly began to pull me away.

"Kaisen, I'm taking your mate." She called over her shoulder as I looked back at Kai who had that same look in his eyes from before. I smiled and waved at him as Nuri pulled me away not before he smiled back at me. Where had I seen that look before?