Stardust

Chapter 9: Tribe Mother

       Captain Fenala couldn't believe her eyes. She had been led by Yuval and Reka through the vast doorway into what was a whole new world to her eyes. Lush greenery grew in patches where the stone ground gave way to patches of soft sand and from cracks and crevices in the walls. The cavern that they walked through was mostly rectangular, like one large canyon carved into the rock by some unknown force. Fenala was led through the center of the cavern by Reka and Yuval, buildings on either side of them as they moved. The buildings were not made of the same stone as the cavern, but were seemingly enlarged seashells. Yes, as she looked more closely and her eyes began adjusting to the dim light, Fenala could see that each building was a house sized shell of some kind. There didn't seem to be any pattern to the shell type or exact size. They were just placed wherever there was room along either side of the cavern, with but a few feet between each of them. Along the outsides of the shells and the walls of the cavern were vines strewn across every surface, like a latticework of greenery. Wrapped periodically within the vines were the same crystals, glowing and pulsing softly with that same colorful light as before.

       "Keep up Hashran." Reka said as she slowed to move beside Fenala and look at her with those dark eyes of hers. Eyes filled with disdain.

       Fenala sped up her walking pace, finding it difficult to keep up with the two who simply floated in front of her, their tails moving back and forth like they were swimming in water. She realized that there was no sign of anyone other than the three of them. They passed through the center of the grouping of shell buildings and Fenala could see up ahead why there was no one around. In front of them, there loomed the opposite end of the vast ravine, only it did not end in just another rock wall. There, nestled in the face of the stone, there was a portal of water. It was as if on one side there was the ocean, blue water with various fish and other creatures swimming about, and on this side, the cavern. She gaped in amazement at the giant portal, it taking up so much of the cavern wall that she thought her ship might fit through the entrance. Beneath the portal, a large dais sat, a wide set of stone steps leading up to where it was positioned up against the wall of the cavern. Upon the dais, a crowd gathered, a crowd of people with legs. 

       When Yuval and Reka first reached the first step that led up to the large dais, The crowd parted as they watched the trio ascend the steps. Fenala could see them as individuals now, each with their own features and traits. They were all scaled as Yuval and Reka were, however where their wastes formed, they did not have fish tails, but actual legs. Human legs! Fenala felt a wave of relief at seeing something familiar in these beings. As she walked up the steps, noticing how they were just a bit too tall to be comfortable to walk up for her short legs, she noticed that every one of these people was staring at her, their dark eyes following her movements as she moved after Yuval and Reka silently. To her dissatisfaction, most seemed to hold the same opinion of her as did Reka, that of hatred and fear. Fenala reached the top of the steps, now almost within feet of some of the closer people. Their nakedness was obvious, the patches of scales less so than on the forms that Reka and Yuval both held. She looked ahead quickly as she glanced over a man to her left, the area between his legs completely on display for all to see. It appeared that they did indeed have genitals, at least in this form. She would remember to keep her eyes at head height in the future.

       "Hashran....Hashran." Several hushed whispers floated from the crowd as Fenala was forced to follow Yuval and Reka forward, the people behind moving to block any path of retreat she might hope for. 

        Yuval stopped up ahead, he had moved slightly further in front of Reka as they had made their way through the crowd. He made a gesture, crossing his wrists and bringing them to his head before bowing to the person in front of him. "We return to the great ocean Tribe Mother, Bahji has guided us home." He spoke, his form still bowed until the Tribe Mother reached out and touched her hand to his head.