Iqi: Arrival

Chapter Seven

"Iqi, look at this," Hermione grinned showing me her phone.

It was a picture of me in the park, my back towards the camera, my gaze on the sky. My pale figure contrasted stunningly against the brown, reds and yellows of the trees.

"2 million people have already commented on it!" Hermione squealed. "I'm pissed that they photoshopped me out but it is a really good photo."

I nodded in agreement. "Is this what all the humans will do with the photos they took?"

"Probably. I wouldn't be surprised it some of them frame the photo in their homes. Say, when we get back to the condo I'm going to make a website for you."

"We probably won't be back until tomorrow or very late tonight."

I frowned still upset at myself for being so absent minded and forgetting Captain Kiernan would be leaving today. I could have spent the day with Huder. I could imagine his quite literally bone crushing goodbye already. I could feel Captain's disapproving gaze on me, scolding me for one last time.

"Hey," Hermione took my hand. "The pilot said we would make it on time. We're only half an hour away."

"I'll only have just as much time to say goodbye then," I sighed.

"Whether you have an hour or years, goodbyes always hurt the same. You'll still be able to keep in touch. And the internet is open they'll be able to see you all the time!"

I nodded.

Hermione sighed. "I'm not going to lie. It won't be the same. But I have an idea for a new hobby to keep you distracted."

"What?" I asked.

"You'll see once you've finished your goodbyes," she winked.

-

As promised we arrived at the base where our spaceship had landed less than a week ago. There was an hour until launch. It'd take fifteen to get through the checkpoints, ten to get to the space, another ten perhaps to hunt down Huber. Which left me less than half an hour to say my goodbyes.

Hermione let me go ahead of her knowing it would take longer for her to get through the checkpoints. The guard guiding me seemed to understand I was in a rush and moved quickly. Despite our quick pace it was twenty minutes to launch when I finally got on the ship.

"Gt'ire! Where's Huder?" I asked frantically.

Gt'ire pointed one of her tails down a corridor and I hurried down it. It didn't take me long to find him, well he found me. Just as I opened the doors to see Captain Ki'rnne giving a short speech of goodbye to a single reporter with a camera, Huder launched himself at me. I could hear the humans cry of surprise as Huder's muscular body encased me and began to squeeze.

"You fucking brat," Huder hissed quietly in my ear, in his own language. "Too busy frolicing with your Soenil friends to remember me huh?"

I gasped an unintelligible apology, feeling my wings bending painfully.

"Oh, you better be sorry," Huder chuckled.

I could hear my heartbeat over the sound of Captain Ki'rnne trying to reassure the humans that I was in no actual danger. I wasn't so sure my heart felt as if it would burst.

I flapped my one free wing against his side signalling I was at my limit. Huder sighed and reluctantly released his grip. I coughed and gasped pitifully on the floor.

"I'm - I'm sorry. I forgot you were leaving today," I choked out, wiping tears from my eyes.

"Iqi are you alright?" I heard an anxious human voice call.