Morph: Book One

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There was so much to look at that I found it hard to sit still. The streets below soon turned from the city's narrow passageways into large streets with booths on either side.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, and Ezic pushed a series of commands into the console before relaxing back into his seat. The red and blue lines disappeared as we ventured off course, seemingly driving blind.

"I'm showing you my favorite place." As we moved the scenery drastically changed, the city stopped abruptly before flattening as we neared the edge of the belt. The surface of the belt was on full display, its darkness was a stark contrast to the vibrance of the city that we left behind us. Its darkness seemed to absorb all the light around it.

"This is called The Void." Ezic muttered as he gained control over the craft and slowly brought it to a stop near the drop-off. A warning sounded around us, uttering syllables in the Zorr language. Ezic ignored the warning and carefully lowered the craft to the surface of the belt until we hovered just above the ground. I watched as Ezic skimmed his hand over the center console and the ship powered off, slowly lowering the rest of the way until it rested on the ground.

Ezic reached over to my harness and waved his hand over where the two pieces connected. The next moment, I was released, and the harnesses returned to their original positions.

"Take this." I avert my eyes from the belt and look over at Ezic who was holding out a mask of some sort. I frowned at the item in his hand before raising my head to meet his eyes. "The air is thinner here." He explained. He reached for me and I leaned forward, allowing him to position the mask over my head and fasten it properly. The mask covered my entire face, encompassing my eyes, nose, and mouth within. A cold 'whoosh' of air tickled my nose as the mask was suctioned to my face.

Ezic pulled out a mask of his own and fastened it to his face before opening the shell and jumping out. He quickly made his way around to my side and opened the door for me. He offered me a hand down and I took it as I exited. The cold that met me outside the craft was bitter and caused me to shiver but I ignored its bite on my skin. Curiosity gnawed at me and I found myself almost dragging Ezic over to the ledge of the belt in excitement.

"Be careful, there is nothing stopping you from falling." Ezic warned gently while squeezing my hand that he held in his to gain my attention. I snapped my eyes away from the ledge and looked up at Ezic. He stared down at me for several moments. "Are you ready?" He asked. I nodded my head quickly and a small ghost of a smile made it onto his features. Ezic released my hand and instead entwined his arms around my waist as we shimmied the rest of the way over to the edge.

The view hit me all at once.

I felt the air leave my lungs. Zorron appeared suddenly out in front of us as we neared the drop-off. Surrounding us was a magnificent purple and blue planet. The belt we were on was positioned in a way that allowed us to see the cities painted across the planet's surface. Large electric pools surrounded immense purple and black landmasses. Beyond the cities were massive mountain ranges that nearly kissed the neighboring belt as it passed over them. The entire landscape was jaw-dropping. The scene seemed almost mystical.

"Its beautiful." I whisper. I sensed as Ezic moved his mouth to my ear and heard his breath as he exhaled deeply. I shivered in response.

"Very beautiful." I turned my head to look back at him and saw his ruby eyes fixed on me. His face had been closer than I expected and had caught me by surprise. My eyes flickered to his lips. I would have liked to kiss him had there not been a barrier. I turned my head back around and leaned into his embrace.

"When did you discover this?" I asked. I felt Ezic tense behind me. He drew me in closer to him before answering.

"I was not in the right state of mind after my family's death." The realization of his statement dawned on me then. I turned in his embrace and stared widely up at him. He didn't need to say anything else for me to assume how he happened across this. I felt tears prick my eye and I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm so sorry." I say, leaning my head into the crook of his shoulder. Ezic rested his hand on the back of my head and brushed his fingers through my hair reassuringly. "What made you stay?" I asked, just above a whisper.

"I don't know. But Im glad I did." Ezic said lightly. I pulled back to look up at him. Ezic moved his hand from the back of my head to trace the edges of my mask. His other hand reached up to pull the mask off his face. Air hissed as he removed his mask, breaking the seal. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

Ezic opened his eyes to gaze down at me. I felt his fingers pierce the side of my mask, causing it to separate from my skin. I raised my hand to grab onto the mask and draw it away from my face. I took a deep breath of my own, testing the air. I felt Ezic move his hand to the base of my neck before gently beckoning me forward. Our foreheads touched, and our breaths intermingled.

He leaned his head down and filled the space between us, his lips capturing mine. I raised one of my hands and slowly traced one of his horns with my fingers. I felt Ezic shiver at this, and I smiled into the kiss before wrapping my hand around the base and pulling him closer. His other arm dropped to my waist and pulled me flush against him. I could feel my face heat as I felt his arousal against my stomach.

Ezic hoisted me up and my legs immediately wrapped around his hips. He carried me back over to the transport and pressed my back against its cool surface, trapping me against him. While one hand propped itself up beside my head, the other gripped my ass, supporting me. I let go of his horn and slid my hands under his shirt, dancing my hands across his pectorals and abs. I momentarily pulled away from the kiss and gripped the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and shoulders. I discarded the shirt to the side and pushed against Ezic's chest, allowing me to slide down his body and kneel before him.

Ezic's hand quickly stopped me before I could unfasten his pants. I snapped my head up to meet his eyes but I hadn't been prepared for what I'd see. Ezic's face was contorted into one of eminence pain while his eyes stared down at me hungrily. He was at war with himself.

"Ezic?" I questioned but he closed his eyes and shook his head before releasing my hands and stepping away from my reach.

"No....not here." Ezic huffed out between labored breaths. He seemed to be barely keeping it together. My skin pricked in awareness before I felt my face flush in embarrassment. I looked around at our surroundings and then it all made sense. This place held a somber memory with it.

Ezic's heated gaze found me again and I instantly stood up from my kneeled position. "Come." As soon as he spoke, he bent down to pick up his discarded shirt before spinning around and heading to the other side of the transport. I caught sight of his tail thrashing behind him and made the terrible mistake of catching it in my hand as he turned. Ezic's tail whipped out of my grip, and he growled feverishly before spinning around and pinning me back against the transport. A nervous laugh escaped me when I met his piercing hot glare.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Ryn!" Ezic hissed between clenched teeth. I could tell that he was on the brink of losing control. Before I could process what was happening, Ezic had picked me up and stalked to the passenger side of the transport, where he opened the door and tossed me into the seat. He fumbled with the harnesses briefly before finally fastening them together. As I watched Ezic struggle and come undone, I tried to keep myself from bursting with excitement.